After 2+2, Indian side meets Trump
WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI : Union ministers Rajnath Singh and S Jaishankar met US President Donald Trump after their 2+2 meetings with their American counterparts Mark Esper and Mike Pompeo Wednesday in a rare break from protocol that was seen as a reflection of the growing importance of the relationship at the senior-most level in this administration.
India and the United States had earlier in the day announced the conclusion of a key defence agreement to further enhance the interoperability of their militaries and discussed the threat of cross-border terrorism India faces from Pakistan. They had also discussed a whole range of issues, including trade, the United States joining the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure, a key global initiative launched by India at the last UNGA; H-1B visas and ongoing and increasing restrictions; Iran; the need for free and open Indo-Pacific and China; and the drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan.
The meeting with the president, the possibility of which was first reported by Hindustan Times last week, took place in the Oval Office, after the two ministers had met the National; Security Adviser Robert C O’Brien. It was described as a “courtesy call” on the president, but lasted almost 30 minutes. The president touched on a many subjects about the relationship in his discussions with the Indian minister with a “little” more on trade, and the ministers briefed him about their 2+2 discussions.
Trump recalled with warmth the HowdyModi outreach to the Indian diaspora he had attended with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston in September and he was “very positive, supportive of the relationship and very enthusiastic about various aspects of the relationship,” Jaishankar told reporters.
India and the US signed a defence industry security pact to facilitate transfer of classified technology to private Indian firms even as they demanded Pakistan should take immediate and irreversible action to ensure that its territory isn’t used for terrorism against other countries.
These were among the key outcomes of the second 2+2 dialogue between the defence and foreign ministers of the two sides, which also focused on a range of issues, including trade, the US joining the India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, measures to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, China and the drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan.
The Industrial Security Annex (ISA), inked during the talks, will allow US makers of defence hardware to partner and share classified information and technology with private Indian companies, thus expanding their ability to jointly develop and produce sensitive military gear. Under existing arrangements, the US firms can only share such information with India’s public sector companies.
The two sides signed three more pacts under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) that will enhance their ability to jointly develop and produce critical technologies, defense secretary Mark Esper said after the 2+2 talks in Washington on Wednesday.
A joint statement issued on Thursday condemned all forms of terror and called for concerted action against all terror networks.
“The ministers called on Pakistan to take immediate, sustained and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism against other countries in any manner, and to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of crossborder terrorist attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot,” the statement said.
The two sides called for quick installation of secure communication capabilities between the armies and air forces under the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), and decided to continue discussions to finalise the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) to enable greater geospatial informationsharing.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar said the two sides discussed the concept of a “free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific based on the recognition of ASEAN centrality,” cross-border terrorism in the region and working closely at international forums.