Sansad TV Perspective: India-USA Dialogue

In the series Sansad TV Perspective, we bring you an analysis of the discussion featured on the insightful programme ‘Perspective’ on Sansad TV, on various important topics affecting India and also the world. This analysis will help you immensely for the IAS exam, especially the mains exam, where a well-rounded understanding of topics is a prerequisite for writing answers that fetch good marks.

In this article, we feature the discussion on the topic: India-USA Dialogue

Anchor: Vishal Dahiya

Participants: 

1. Maj. Gen (Retd.) Dhruv C Katoch, Director, India Foundation
2. Prof. Rajaram Panda, Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi
3. Meera Shankar, Former Ambassador

Context: The fourth 2+2 Ministerial dialogue between India and the US was held in Washington with the primary objective of bolstering the commitment to promote regional stability and rule of law.

The Background:

• India and the US are natural and trusted partners experiencing 75 years of diplomatic relations with a shared commitment towards democracy and pluralism along with a bilateral agenda and emerging concurrence of strategic interests.
• The 2+2 dialogue acts as an effective tool of diplomacy to further such a unique relationship by promoting resilience and rules-based international order that protects sovereignty, territorial integrity, democratic values and peace and prosperity. 

Explore the details of India-US Relations by following the link.

Areas of focus of India-US bilateral agenda:

• Foreign Policy
• Defence 
• Security

What is a 2+2 Dialogue?

• This diplomatic procedure involves a format of a meeting of the foreign and defence ministers of India and its allies on the strategic and security fronts. 
• The dialogue (2+2) facilitates a better understanding of the concerns and the sensitivities along with the political factors, between the strategic partners in a rapidly evolving global environment. 

Countries with which India exchanged 2+2 dialogues:

• India has four key 2+2 dialogue partners namely the US, Japan, Australia and Russia. 
• Apart from Russia, the other three dialogue partners (Japan, US and Australia) are partners of India in the QUAD. 
• The US is India’s oldest and most important partner for 2+2 talks. 
• The first engagement at the 2+2 level between India and the US was held in 2018. 

What was discussed in the recently held dialogue? 

• Several discussions were held regarding the strategic and defence agreements between the dialogue partners to produce tangible and far-reaching results for India. 
• The destabilising impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis was analysed with special attention to the disruption of the global food supply. 
• The approach to deal with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis had been touched upon. The US has conveyed that it is yet to consider the sanctions under the CAATSA law associated with Russia, North Korea and Iran. 
• The Global Partnership and Indo-Pacific Cooperation has been reaffirmed for an open and free maritime space that ensures to eliminate military, economic and political coercion. 
• The discussion highlighted the importance of obeying international law to mitigate the challenges to the rules-based order, particularly in the South China Sea.  
• The Ministerial dialogue addressed the worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and both sides condemned civilian deaths requesting an immediate cessation of hostilities. 
• During the meeting, the situation in the Indian Ocean Region was also assessed. Read about the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) by following the link.
• A troika of “foundational pacts” for deep military cooperation was signed between US-India which will be strengthened in the upcoming days.
• The existing agreements include:
• The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) was signed in 2016.
• Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) was signed for the exchange of information pertaining to exercises, training and operations. 
• BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) was signed in 2020. 

To know more about Indo-US Military Agreements, visit the linked article.

About COMCASA:

• This agreement was signed between India and the US in 2018 (during the 2+2 dialogue) with the intent of enabling greater communications and interoperability between the militaries of both countries. 
• It is one of the four foundational agreements that the US signs with its allies and close partners. 
• COMCASA is an India-specific version of the Communication and Information on Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA). 
• It comes into force immediately and is valid for a period of 10 years. 
• Under this agreement, India is allowed to procure specialised equipment for encrypted communications for US origin military platforms like the C-17, C-130 and P-8Is. At present, these platforms are commercially available communication systems. 
• The 2+2 dialogue assists in providing access to advanced defence systems and enables India to optimally utilise the existing US-origin platforms. 

Positive signals for India:

• India’s contribution to the UNSC has been acknowledged by the US for its leadership role as the Chair of the three committees of the Security Council:
  • The 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee
  • The 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee
  • The 1373 Counter Terrorism Committee
• The US assured its support for India’s permanent membership in the UNSC and India’s admission to the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG). 
• It is acknowledged by the US that India is capable of leveraging its relationship with Russia to bring the two conflicting parties (Russia and Ukraine) to the negotiating table through a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution.  

Areas of Concern for India:

• India’s friendship with Russia and its indomitable support can be an impediment to the India-US bilateral relationship. 
• The US has not yet decided to waive the sanctions under CAATSA law on India for the purchase of the S-400 Missile defence system from Russia. 

The 2+2 dialogue for a resilient future:

• Considering the fast pace of the evolving global environment, this strategic and military dialogue between India and the US is seen as a strengthening factor of cooperation between the two militaries, especially in the context of an increasingly aggressive China. 
• The dialogue also signifies the shared commitment of India and the US towards a secured and reliant future with enhanced defence engagements. 
• This dialogue takes place at a time wherein the world is in the midst of geopolitical tensions. 
• It will serve as the testimony of dedication of the two dialogue partners to promote regional stability and prosperity accompanied by inclusive regional architecture, following the rule of law, the freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes and ASEAN centrality. 
• Although India and the US had contrasting stands on the entire Russia-Ukraine conflict, the dialogue of 2+2 genre offers a futuristic platform for emboldening the India-US bilateral ties. Therefore, the 2+2 format has been projected as the health yardstick for the relations between the two countries.

Read more summaries of Perspective in the link.

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