Elevating defence partnership a priority, Lloyd Austin says on India visit
ELEVATING the US-India defence partnership is a priority of the Biden administration, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday as he described the relationship between the two countries as a ‘stronghold’ of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
After holding wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Austin said India is an increasingly important partner amid rapidly shifting international dynamics and Washington was committed to a ‘forward-looking’ defence partnership with New Delhi as a central pillar of its approach to the region.
Austin arrived in New Delhi on Friday on a three-day visit as part of his three-nation first overseas tour that signalled the Biden administration’s strong commitment to its relations with its close allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. He visited Japan and South Korea before India.
‘I reaffirmed our commitment to a comprehensive and forward-looking defence partnership with India as a central pillar of our approach to the region,’ he said in a media statement in presence of Singh.
‘As the world faces a global pandemic and growing challenges to an open and stable international system, the US-India relationship is a stronghold of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,’ he said.
Austin described his talks with Singh as ‘productive’ discussion on a number of security issues which are important to the two countries. ‘As the Indo-Pacific region faces acute transnational challenges, such as climate change, and challenges to a free and open regional order, cooperation among like-minded countries is imperative to securing our shared vision for the future,’ he said.
Discussing India’s planned purchase of Russia’s S400 air defence system, Austin urged India to steer clear of Russian equipment to avoid sanctions.
‘We certainly urge all our allies, our partners to move away from Russian equipment ... and really avoid any kind of acquisitions that would trigger sanctions on our behalf,’ Austin told reporters.
No S400 systems have been delivered to India and so the possibility of sanctions was not discussed, he said.
India made an initial payment of $800 million in 2019 towards the Russian purchase and the first set of missile batteries are expected later this year.
Austin is making the first visit by a top member of US President Joe Biden’s administration to India as part of efforts to forge an alliance of countries seeking to push back against China’s assertiveness in the region.
The leaders of the US, India, Australia and Japan - countries together known as the Quad held a first summit last week pledging to work together for a free and open Indo-Pacific and to cooperate on maritime and cyber security in the face of challenges from China.
The US has emerged as one of India’s biggest arms sellers, and the two sides are also discussing India’s plan to buy armed drones from the US as well as a large order for over 150 combat jets for the air force and the navy to help narrow the gap with China, Reuters reported on Friday.
Austin met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival in New Delhi on Friday and held discussions with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday.
‘Welcomed US @SecDef Lloyd Austin at MEA. A wide-ranging conversation on the global strategic situation. Look forward to working with him on enhancing our strategic partnership,’ Jaishankar tweeted.
Austin also held talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. ‘Great meeting with National Security Advisor Doval last night. The breadth of collaboration between our two nations reflects the significance of our Major Defense Partnership as we work together to address the most pressing challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region,’ he tweeted.
In his statement, Austin also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments that India stands for ‘freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and adherence to international law.’
‘This is a resounding affirmation of our shared vision for regional security in the Indo-Pacific. And it’s clear that the importance of this partnership, and its impact to the international rules-based order will only grow in the years ahead,’ he said.
Austin told Modi that he ‘commended India’s leadership role in the Indo-Pacific and growing engagement with like-minded partners across the region to promote shared goals,’ Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
Also not mentioning China directly, Modi tweeted that ‘India and US are committed to our strategic partnership that is a force for global good’.
Washington is keen for its partners in the region to deepen cooperation among themselves into ‘a network of overlapping relationships’ not necessarily involving the US, a senior US official said.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said after meeting Austin that he had agreed to ‘pursue enhanced cooperation with the US Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command and Africa Command’.
He told reporters that New Delhi wanted ‘to make the Indian-US relationship one of the defining partnerships of (the) 21st century’.
Austin said he raised human rights in India in his talks - something which the Biden administration says is an important part of both its foreign and defence policy - but not with Modi.
In 2016, the US designated India a ‘Major Defense Partner’, and they have since signed a string of deals easing the transfer of advanced weaponry and deepening military cooperation.
US defence firms have inked billions of dollars in deals to supply military hardware, including helicopters, under India’s $250 billion modernisation of its armed forces.