NEW DELHI: India and the US sealed a growing relationship by inking the last founding agreement exchanging geospatial intelligence that brings defense systems closer together and strengthens a compact that now spans a broad spectrum from health, science and technology, and education and is backed by a shared alarm on China’s growing military and economic aggression.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not hesitate to name China, saying: “American leaders and citizens see more clearly that the Communist Party of China is not a friend of democracy, the rule of law and transparency. “. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also didn’t mince words when he said India was being “challenged by reckless aggression on our northern borders.”
At the third ‘2 + 2’ meeting between the Foreign and Defense Ministers, India and the US signed five agreements, but more importantly, they noted that the two countries are going through a number of sectors to work together. in spite of the occasional comments from US President Donald Trump on trade and, more recently, on India’s air quality. The signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation (BECA), along with the former GSOMIA, LEMOA and COMCASA, makes India a close strategic partner of the US even in the absence of a formal alliance. Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said: “Our comprehensive global strategic partnership is built on a firm foundation of shared principles and common strategic interests.”
In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, in an indirect reference to China, said: “The ability of India and the United States to work closely together on defense and foreign policy has a greater resonance. Together, we can make a real difference when it comes to regional and global challenges, whether it’s respecting territorial integrity, promoting maritime awareness, fighting terrorism or ensuring prosperity. ”
A joint statement welcomed the “growing understanding about the Indo-Pacific between like-minded countries ”. He reaffirmed that closer cooperation between India and the United States “would support shared interests in promoting security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.”
In his opening remarks, Pompeo said that India and the United States were “cooperating to defeat the pandemic that originated in Wuhan, to confront the Chinese Communist Party’s threats to security and freedom, to promote peace and stability throughout. the region”.
The joint declaration also reaffirmed the convergences in the fight against terrorism. The ministers called on Pakistan to take immediate, sustained and irreversible measures to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks, and to quickly bring to justice the perpetrators and planners of all such attacks, including on 11/26 in Mumbai, Uri. Y Pathankot. “The statement mentioned that visas, a point of controversy, would be discussed as part of the consular dialogue.
Countering the China Belt and Road Initiative, India and the United States will undertake joint projects in the Indo-Pacific region. “Recognizing the need to contain the accumulation of sovereign debt in developing and low-income countries by ensuring responsible, transparent and sustainable financing practices,” the joint statement said.
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