A shadowover India-US ties is being dispelled

Both countries are willing to give a stronger foundation to the relationship

Questions have been raised about the health of India-US relations, particularly after the inaugural “2+2” meeting between the Indian foreign and defence ministers with their American counterparts was postponed for the second time in July. This closely followed the Donald Trump administration’s insistence on a new law, Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which would impose sanctions on India if New Delhi went ahead with its decision to buy the S-400 missile system from Russia. But those clouds casting a shadow of doubt over bilateral ties seem to be moving away now, as the US Congress has passed a law which grants exception to India when it procures the S-400 missile system from Moscow. Washington seems to have realised that threats of sanctions under CAATSA dent the image of the US as a reliable partner at a time when it is projecting India as a key player in its Indo-Pacific strategy.

India has also followed it up by asking the Americans to expedite the signing of COMCASA, the second of the three “foundational” agreements the US has wanted India to sign for the last decade and a half. The CAATSA exemption and COMCASA signing underline that while the US has accepted the principle that as a sovereign country, India cannot be dictated to on its strategic interests by a third country, New Delhi has also indicated its willingness to give a stronger foundation to the bilateral relationship.