US, India Usher Closer Military Ties, Sign Key Intelligence-Sharing Pact

Jaishree Balasubramanian
2018.09.06
New Delhi
180906-IN-us-620.jpg James Mattis and Mike Pompeo, the U.S. secretaries of defense and state (left and center), and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj prepare to make a joint statement after “2+2” talks in New Delhi, Sept. 6, 2018.
AP

Top officials from India and the United States held long-delayed talks Thursday to forge deep security and political ties, reaching a defense accord under which Washington will provide encrypted defense technologies to the Indian military.

In New Delhi, the defense and foreign ministers of both countries led so-called “2+2” talks and later signed the Communications, Compatibility, Security Agreement (COMCASA). The talks, which lasted a few hours, were focused on security topics and took place as the world’s two largest democracies have recently boosted security alliances in a bid to counterbalance China’s growing influence in Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

The signing of COMCASA will allow the countries to exchange sensitive military information securely and quickly, and “will enable India to access advanced technologies from the U.S. and enhance India’s defense preparedness,” Indian Defense Minister Sitharama said during a joint news conference in the Indian capital.

She said India and the United States would carry out Tri-Services joint exercises off the eastern coast of India in 2019. Sitharaman met separately with U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis before joining Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who also held their separate talks.

Pompeo described the agreement as a “milestone” in the Indo-U.S. relationship.

“I must say the kickoff of the 2+2 was pretty special, a historic level of relationship that the two countries have not previously had,” the top U.S. diplomat told a press briefing.

“We’ve had 70 years of diplomatic relationships with India, and it was important for the four of us to work together through this dialogue so that we can continue to keep these two relationships both intertwined and moving towards our set of shared objectives of the world’s two largest democracies,” he added, according to a transcript from the U.S. State Department.

Russian arms deal

The United States is India’s second largest arms supplier, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Thursday’s talks, however, unfolded amid controversy over Washington’s demands, including an end to India’s plan to acquire a sophisticated Russian air-defense system.

Mattis, while en route to India, played down the potential diplomatic issues.

“Freedom means that at times nations don’t agree with each other,” Mattis told reporters, according to the Associated Press, when asked about the country’s plans to buy a sophisticated Russian air-defense system. “That doesn’t mean we can’t be partners. That doesn’t mean we don’t respect the sovereignty of those nations.”

Washington has imposed sanctions on Russia over its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in the Ukraine. The sanctions means that any nation that engages in intelligence or defense sharing with Russia could also be subjected to similar punitive measures.

Delhi applauds US action on Pakistan

During the news conference, Swaraj said that they had reviewed the direction of the Indo-U.S. relations in recent months and exchanged views on a number of regional issues.

India supports American President Donald Trump’s South Asia policy, Swaraj said.

“His call for Pakistan to stop its policy of supporting cross-border terrorism finds resonance with us,” she said.

Efforts by India and the United States in promoting an Afghan-led and Afghan government-controlled reconciliation process, which would bring together all ethnic groups in that country, also came up during the talks, the minister said.

After the talks, India and the U.S. asked Pakistan to ensure that its territory was not used to launch terror attacks and bring to justice the perpetrators of cross-border militant strikes, including those in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The ministers announced their intent to increase information-sharing efforts on known or suspected terrorists,” a joint statement issued after the talks said.

“The ministers denounced any use of terrorist proxies in the region, and in this context, they called on Pakistan to ensure that the territory under its control is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries,” it said.

Before coming to India, Pompeo held talks in Islamabad with Pakistan’s new government headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The visit to Islamabad came as the Trump administration announced it was cutting a package of $300 million in annual military aid to Pakistan, citing concerns that Islamabad was not doing enough to stop terrorist groups from operating from within the country’s borders.

Swaraj said India also welcomed Washington’s recent designation of Lashkar-e-Taiba as a terrorist group, as well as tightened bilateral cooperation against other militant groups, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

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