India and US seal key defence pact US to help nations replace Iran oil

new delhi — India and the United States signed an accord on secure military communications that both sides hailed as a breakthrough on Thursday, possibly opening the way for sales of sensitive US military equipment to India.

The pact was signed after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for talks aimed at deepening political and security ties.

The world’s two largest democracies have drawn closer in recent years, seeking ways to counter-balance China’s spreading influence across Asia, notably in Pakistan, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Before coming to India, Pompeo held talks in Islamabad with Pakistan’s new government and generals, aiming to smooth over tensions after President Donald Trump took a tough new line towards Pakistan over longstanding accusations it is not doing enough to root out Afghan Taleban fighters on its territory.

The presence of US troops in Afghanistan has heightened US sensitivity to the rivalry between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. Washington and New Delhi share concerns over Pakistanbased anti-Western and anti-Indian militant groups.

The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) that was sealed on Thursday had been stalled for years because of India’s concerns that it would open up its communications network to the US military.

Pompeo said the accord was a “major step” forward that officials

have previously said would allow the US to transfer high-tech equipment such as armed surveillance drones. New Delhi has been seeking the drones to monitor the Indian Ocean where China, a close ally of Pakistan, has been making repeated forays in recent years.

India and the United States also agreed to open a hotline between their foreign heads and hold joint exercises involving the air force, navy and the army off the eastern Indian coast in 2019, the Indian government said.

The US has emerged as India’s second largest arms supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals in the past decade. Meanwhile, Pompeo said on Thursday that Washington will consider waivers for Iranian oil buyers such as India but they must eventually halt imports as sanctions are imposed on Tehran.

“We will consider waivers where appropriate but that it is our expectation that the purchases of Iranian crude oil will go to zero from every country or sanctions will be imposed.

“So we’ll work with the Indians, we committed that we will do that,” Pompeo said.

Despite Trump’s efforts, government officials in India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and Iran’s top oil client after China, say that it would be difficult to fully halt supplies from Tehran.

“Many countries are in a place where it takes a little bit of time to unwind and we’ll work with them I’m sure to find an outcome that makes sense,” Pompeo said, adding that the United States would be ‘happy’ if Iranian oil is replaced with American products. —