US CONGRESS PASSES $700 BN DEFENCE BILL

The US Congress on Friday passed a nearly USD 700 billion defence budget for 2018 which imposes tougher conditions on Pakistan for military and security assistance while seeking advancement in military cooperation with major defence partner India, reports PTI.

The 2018 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) sailed through both the chambers of the Congress – House of Representatives and the Senate – by a voice vote.

It now heads to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign it into law, which he is expected to do before the Thanksgiving holidays.

The budget also accommodates the last minute additional White House’s financial request implementing its new South Asia strategy. The NDAA-2018 asked the Secretary of State and the Defence Secretary to come out with a common definition that recognises India’s status as a “Major Defence Partner”.

Welcoming the move, top Republican Senator Ted Cruz said few partnerships in the 21st century carried more strategic significance than the US-India partnership.

Cruz said that the current bilateral cooperation and joint development need to be more closely aligned with the shared interests of maritime domain awareness and antisubmarine warfare.

During the legislative process, Cruz secured an amendment that calls on the Department of Defence to reassess its approach to partnering with India and to appoint an individual to oversee this process.

Imposes tougher conditions on Pak for military while seeking expansion in military tie-ups with India