At the inaugural India-U.S. Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue, India signed the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) with the United States. The agreement ‘will facilitate access to advanced defense systems and enable India to optimally utilize its existing U.S.-origin platforms.’
Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis also announced their readiness to begin negotiations on an Industrial Security Annex (ISA) that would support closer defense industry cooperation and collaboration.
“The landmark agreement deepens our military-to-military cooperation and our ability to share the most advanced defense technology, making us both stronger. In addition, we agreed to increase and expand our engagement in the maritime domain with a new tri-service exercise,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis.
The agreement has been a cause of concern for several defence analysts in India for a long time especially with regard to India’s strategic autonomy and defence preparedness. Here is an analysis by VSM Captain Ramaprasad, penned last year.
“We reiterated our highest respect for each other’s sovereignty and committed to work together for a safe, secure, prosperous and free Indo-Pacific, one that is underpinned by the rule of law. We appreciate India’s role as a stabilizing force on the region’s geographic frontlines. Your nation understands better than many: peace and prosperity are only attainable when all respect the principles of territorial integrity, freedom of navigation and freedom from coercion — all of these are fundamental to the rules-based international order,” said Secretary Mattis. “We will continue working together to enhance and expand India’s role as a primary Major Defense Partner to elevate our relationship to a level commensurate with our closest allies and partners,” he added.
Recognizing their two countries are strategic partners, major and independent stakeholders in world affairs, the Ministers committed to work together on regional and global issues, including in bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral formats. The two sides further decided to establish secure communication between the Minister of External Affairs of India and the U.S. Secretary of State and between the Minister of Defence of India and the U.S. Secretary of Defense, to help maintain regular high-level communication on emerging developments.
India’s designation as a Major Defense Partner (MDP) of the United States
There will be an expansion in scope of India’s MDP status and both countries take mutually agreed upon steps to strengthen defense ties further and promote better defense and security coordination and cooperation.
The ministers noted the rapid growth in bilateral defense trade and the qualitative improvement in levels of technology and equipment offered by the United States to India in recent years. They welcomed the inclusion of India by the United States among the top tier of countries entitled to license-free exports, re-exports and transfers under License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA-1) and also committed to explore other means to support further expansion in two-way trade in defense items and defense manufacturing supply chain linkages.
Recognizing their rapidly growing military-to-military ties, the two sides committed to the creation of a new, tri-services exercise and to further increase personnel exchanges between the two militaries and defense organizations. The Ministers reviewed the recent growth of bilateral engagements in support of maritime security and maritime domain awareness and committed to expand cooperation. Toward that end, the Ministers committed to start exchanges between the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and the Indian Navy, underscoring the importance of deepening their maritime cooperation in the western Indian Ocean.
Role of technology in the India-U.S. defense partnership
The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to continue to encourage and prioritize co-production and co-development projects through the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) and to pursue other avenues of defense innovation cooperation. In this regard, they welcomed the conclusion of a Memorandum of Intent between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Indian Defence Innovation Organization — Innovation for Defence Excellence (DIO-iDEX).
Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region
Both sides committed to work together and in concert with other partners toward advancing a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, based on recognition of ASEAN centrality and on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, rule of law, good governance, free and fair trade, and freedom of navigation and overflight. Noting the importance of infrastructure and connectivity for the Indo-Pacific region, both sides emphasized the need to work collectively with other partner countries to support transparent, responsible and sustainable debt financing practices in infrastructure development.
The common principles for the region articulated in the India-U.S. Joint Statement of June 2017 have been further amplified by President Mr. Donald Trump at Danang, Vietnam on November 10, 2017 and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Singapore at the Shangri-La Dialogue on June 1, 2018.
The United States welcomed India’s accession to the Australia Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Missile Technology Control Regime and reiterated its full support for India’s immediate accession to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
India welcomed the recent U.S.-North Korea summit. The two sides pledged to work together to counter North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction programs and to hold accountable those countries that have supported them.
People-to-People Ties
Both sides committed to further expanding and balancing the trade and economic partnership consistent with their leaders’ 2017 joint statement, including by facilitating trade, improving market access, and addressing issues of interest to both sides. In this regard, both sides welcomed the ongoing exchanges between the Ministry of Commerce of India and the Office of the United States Trade Representative and hoped for mutually acceptable outcomes.
Both sides looked forward to full implementation of the civil nuclear energy partnership and collaboration between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Westinghouse Electric Company for the establishment of six nuclear power plants in India.
Observing the strong ties of family, education and business and the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that unite their people, the Ministers highlighted the unmatched people-to-people ties between their countries and recognized the benefits to both nations and the world from these ties, including the free flow of ideas and collaboration in health, space, oceans and other areas of science and technology.
The next 2+2 meeting is to be held in the United States in 2019.
