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Washington, May 21,
The possibility of us sanctions on India for the purchase of the multi-billion dollar S-400 missile system of Russia still on the table, a top American diplomat has said, asserting that New Delhi will have to make a strategic commitment to the technologies and platforms.
In October 2018, India has signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite the warning of America that go along with the contract you can invite US sanctions in the fight against America’s Adversaries, Through Sanctions of the Law (CAATSA).
Last year, India made the first tranche payment of about $ 800 million to Russia for the missile systems. The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range ground-to-air missile defense system.
“CAATSA much remains a priority of the policy, no doubt, by the Congress, where we have seen strong demand for the implementation and the concern about the ability of Russia to earn money from these military sales, which are to be used to undermine the sovereignty of neighboring countries,” Alice Wells, the outgoing Assistant Director of the Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, told a Washington DC-based think-tank on Wednesday.
The US had imposed sanctions on Russia under the strict CAATSA. The law also provides for punitive action against countries purchasing defense hardware from Russia.
“CAATSA has not been moved off the table. Instead of approaching it from a Russian perspective, however, I think the more important conversation is at this level of sophistication, and as India is moving to adopt the highest level of technological systems, it really becomes a question of what system they want to operate within,” Wells responded to a question raised by former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma.
“How they want their systems to communicate with each other? It is not a mix-and-match arrangement. At some point, India will have to make a kind of a strategic commitment to the technologies and platforms and we believe that we have the best of technologies and platforms,” Wells said while participating in an Atlantic Council-organized virtual discussion.
At the same time, the top u.s. diplomat for South Asia who is due to retire on May 22 after a 31-year career, talked about the growing defence relationship between the two countries.
“We have also made progress in our defense business, with the bilateral agreements of the tally now to cross the 20 billion mark after the President’s visit. I think that this government deserves to take the credit for making a concerted policy change to offer the India, our most advanced defense technologies, such as armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle,” he said.
“It’s pretty amazing to think that the same missile defense system protecting Washington DC will soon be protecting new Delhi,” Wells said.
India’s growing capabilities as a lifeguard, have also been on display in the Indian Ocean, where has been the delivery of COVID of relief, often using source platforms to dozens of countries.
“Looking to the future, I am sure that the defense trade and interoperability will continue to grow despite the fact that COVID-19-related budgetary challenges can slow down the pace,” he said.
“An area in which I believe that you can exert even more attention is the preparation for the 21st-century threats, especially as the military implications of artificial intelligence, autonomous devices, and quantum computing will become more pronounced. I am proud that the maturation of our relationship has allowed us to develop a new degree of endurance and self-confidence and do not allow us to navigate through differences on issues such as the imposition of trade sanctions and visas,” he said.
Wells said that the US sees India as a world power, and understand the country’s global interests that are intended to be protected by the diplomatic, political, economic, and militarily.
The U.S. and India share a vision for an Indo-Pacific order that respects the sovereignty and the rule of law.
“India aspires to become, in the words of (Foreign Affairs) the Minister of Jaishankar a leader in power, but that plays by the rules. Us, rather than acknowledge that India is correct, (its) place helps to create an environment in Asia, which serves the interests of the united states,” he said.
“Therefore, this strategic meeting of the minds in the Indo-Pacific vision has greatly improved how we are able to work together, from all over the world. It was seen in what was renamed as the integral of the global strategic partnership announced earlier this year during the period of the President’s historic Victory of the visit to India,” Wells said.
Jaishankar told US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo in June last year that India could go for its national interest in dealing with other countries, including sanctions to hit Russia that New Delhi is the acquisition of S-400 missile defence systems.
The personal relationship between the President of Victory and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is evident and has clearly helped the relationship, she said.
“Another example is the four, you’re well on your way to becoming one of the main forums of the Indio-Pacific. In just the past year, we held the inaugural QUAD ministerial meeting. We saw QUAD ambassadors meeting regularly in countries around the Pacific and convened the meeting of experts on the fight against terrorism, cyber issues, and maritime security,” he said.
The QUAD is also playing a role in your COVID-19 coordination, Wells said.
QUAD is an informal strategic dialogue between the united states, Japan, Australia and India, which is maintained by the negotiations between the member countries. PTI
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