India, US extend triangular cooperation pact till 2026
Just days after the visit of US secretary of state Antony J. Blinken to New Delhi, India and the United States on Friday extended by five more years a pact for trilateral cooperation in third countries in Asia and Africa, a move is seen as crucial in the wake of expanding Chinese footprints and influence in the two continents.
The two close strategic partners on Friday inked the second amendment to the statement of guiding principles (SGP) on triangular cooperation for global development. The SGP agreement was signed in November 2014 and the fresh amendment extended the pact’s validity up to 2026.
Under the agreement, India and US will “continue to offer capacitybuilding assistance to partner countries in multiple sectors, focusing primarily on agriculture, regional connectivity, trade and investments, nutrition, health, clean and renewable energy, women empowerment, disaster preparedness, water, sanitation, education and institution building”.
New Delhi said the SGP agreement “underscores the contribution of India-US partnership to global stability and prosperity” and “provides a framework for promoting cooperation between the two countries to meet the developmental aspirations of partner countries, particularly in Asia and Africa”.
“The second amendment to the SGP agreement, signed today, extends the validity of the SGP agreement up to 2026... This triangular cooperation with the US will complement India’s other ongoing and future development partnerships, capacity building and technical assistance with countries globally,” it added.
The United States said the “partnership is a significant contributor to regional and global stability and prosperity”. The “SGP leverages their combined capacities to address global development challenges facing countries in the wider region and the world, particularly in Asia and Africa” it added.
The amendment was signed by Abhilasha Joshi, joint secretary, development partnership administration-II division in the MEA, and Karen Klimowsky, acting mission director for the US agency for international development in India.