America
US lawmakers seek deeper defence ties with 'critical ally' India
By
Arun KumarWashington, March 28
Calling India a 'critical
ally', two influential US senators have asked the new Defence Secretary
Ashton Carter to place a special emphasis on deepening the US-India
defence relationship.
"The US strategic partnership with India is
among our nation's most important," wrote Republican John Cornyn and
Democrat Mark Warner, co-chairs of bipartisan Senate India Caucus, in a
joint letter Friday to Carter.
The US "has a broad array of
strategic interests in the region, from the long-term security and
stability of Afghanistan to our strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific,"
they wrote.
"Our partnership with India is critical as we focus on strengthening America's long-term role in the region."
"As
you consider a wide range of important strategic and defence issues
during your tenure as Secretary, we ask that you place a special
emphasis on India as a critical ally."
"We believe that focusing
on cultivating India as a strategic ally now will pay great dividends
for both nations over the long run," wrote Cornyn and Warner.
They
expressed "our strong support" for the US-India defence relationship,
as well as the commitments made by the Obama Administration to enhance
the strategic partnership with India during President Barack Obama's
January visit to India.
"The renewal of the ten-year framework
for the US-India defence relationship is an important component to help
solidify these strategic interests," Cornyn and Warner wrote.
Former
Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, they wrote "correctly recognized that
this renewal "signal[s] a new depth and sophistication in our defence
and security cooperation, ensuring that it continues to be one of the
strongest pillars of our nations' broad strategic partnership - a
partnership that will help forge security and stability in Asia and
across the globe."
"The results of our defence partnership have
already proved fruitful," Cornyn and Warner wrote noting "the US and
India have cooperated in countering terrorism, combating the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and bolstering the
security of the region."
Over $10 billion dollars in defence
trade deals between the US and India have been signed since 2008, and
the two counties now conduct more military exercises with each other
than with any other country, they noted.
Cornyn and Warner also
welcomed India's initial steps toward liberalising its foreign direct
investment rules in the defence sector, which will allow for greater
investments by US companies, as well as both countries' renewed emphasis
on the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).
Carter,
they noted, had helped conceptualise DTTI in his previous capacity as
Deputy Defence Secretary, to advance technological cooperation,
co-production and co-development efforts with India.
The senators
wrote they also "remain hopeful that India will make needed reforms in
defence offsets, since the current system is difficult to navigate and
is often a roadblock to foreign investment."
"It would be
beneficial to pursue a two-tiered system where offset funds that cannot
be spent on traditional Indian defence industries could flow to a second
tier of other Indian priorities such as education, skills development,
or manufacturing," they suggested.
Carter, they recalled had
written in November 2013 that "there are few accomplishments of which I
am more proud than what the Department of Defence has achieved with
India."
The senators said they looked forward to working with
Carter "to build on these achievements and deepen our strategic
bilateral and defence partnership with our key ally in South Asia."
"As we deepen our engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, so must we deepen our partnership with India," they wrote.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])