India, US pledge to work as partners to combat terror
In a continued engagement with the new Donald Trump administration, India and the US have pledged to work as “partners to combat the full spectrum of terrorist threats” and explore areas of “mutual concerns and commonality” of purpose to build on a relationship that has historically enjoyed bipartisan support.
NSA Ajit Doval became the second high-ranking Indian official to engage with officials at the highest levels in the new administration, meeting his counterpart in the White House HR McMaster, defence secretary James Mattis and secretary for homeland security John Kelly during his two-day visit to the US that concluded Friday. The NSA also met senior Republican senators John McCain, who heads the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, and Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Just two weeks ago foreign secretary S Jaishankar and commerce secretary Rita Teaotia were here on a similar whirlwind get-to-know tour.
These visits were in continuation with the two phone conversations PM Narendra Modi had with Trump starting with a congratulatory call on the morning after latter’s stunning upset victory in the November 9 elections.
Indian officials have felt generally pleased and encouraged by the interactions. In discussions characterised as “very warm, very positive and very constructive, Doval and his interlocutors covered a wide range of issues, both regional and global.
Both Pakistan and China were discussed, but Indian sources stressed the discussions “very broad” and they were more in the nature of “listening, conveying your concerns, trying to assess what the new administration was thinking about on various issues”. Doval and McMaster “committed to work together as partners to combat the full spectrum of terrorist threats, affirming both great democracies stand together in the fight against terrorism,” senior administration official said after their meeting.
In the meeting at the Pentagon, Doval and Mattis discussed the importance of the bilateral relationship, and “their role in cooperating to uphold international laws,” a defence department spokesman Jeff Davis said.