America
Obama's defence secretary pick for expanded ties with India
Washington, Feb 5
Noting that India and US have
built a strong strategic partnership over the last decade, President
Barack Obama's nominee for defence secretary has said he would
prioritise the steady growth of their relationship.
Ashton
Carter, 60, a former Pentagon No. 2 who launched the Defence Technology
and Trade Initiative (DTTI) with India, told a Senate panel Wednesday
that he would lean-forward to expand DTTI with additional co-production
and co-development activities.
Carter, who is expected to win
swift Senate confirmation, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that
the past decade has been transformative in the US-India relationship.
"We
are seeing greater convergence in our interests and concerns than ever
before, particularly between our rebalance to Asia and India's 'Act
East,'" he said.
"Strengthening the US-India defence relationship
was a priority for me as Deputy Secretary of Defence and, if confirmed,
I will continue to prioritise the steady growth of this relationship,"
he told the panel in his written testimony.
Defence plays a vital
role in US-India relations, which includes a robust series of military
exchanges and exercises, a strong track record on defence trade, and
increasingly close consultations on regional security issues, Carter
said.
During his recent India trip, he noted Obama announced four
pathfinder projects under DTTI, a working group on aircraft carrier
cooperation, and the possibility of cooperating on jet engine
technology.
The Department of Defence also remains committed to
technological cooperation with India through the DTTI, he said vowing to
build upon the progress achieved under it.
"This includes
pursuing additional opportunities for co-production/co-development
projects, developing the defence trade relationship into increasingly
sophisticated areas, and encouraging broader defence S&T engagement
with India," Carter said.
Carter said he will also "continue to
find ways to strengthen our military-to-military relationship by
expanding the scope and complexity of our exercises, and ensure the
consistency of our engagement."
Carter said he would "prioritise exchanges at all levels of our military, and encourage frequent high-level visits."
He
would also "continue to look for ways to expand upon our maritime
security relationship and identify specific areas for increased
cooperation, including in the Asia-Pacific."
On US Strategic
relationship with Pakistan, Carter said "counterterrorism cooperation
remains a critical shared strategic interest" as "Pakistan still faces a
real and potent threat from several militant groups within its
borders."
But it was also important that the US "continues to
engage with Pakistan in areas where our strategic interests diverge," he
said.
Among areas of divergence, he cited "the direction of
Pakistan's nuclear programme and its tolerance of terrorist
organizations like the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e Taiba," responsible
for the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
"In addition to
threatening US forces in Afghanistan, these groups threaten regional
security, endanger the prospects of a political settlement in
Afghanistan, and undermine Pakistan's own stability," he said.
Carter
noted that Pakistan has pledged to target all militant groups operating
within its borders, including the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e Taiba.
"If
confirmed, I will ensure that the Department holds Pakistan to this
pledge, and works against actors who are exploiting Pakistani territory
to destabilise the region," he said.
Carter said he would also
"seek to facilitate cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and
encourage communication between Pakistan and India, as these
relationships will continue to be vital to stability in the region."
Asked
about his assessment of the relationship between India and China,
Carter said US, India, and China all have an important role in ensuring
the peace and stability of the region and a rules-based order.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])