My letter from Washington: Consolidating gains. India & US to sign BECA. India to "lease" two drones from USG very soon, 2+2 and a possible NSA meeting -- all before Nov. 3 election. Look at the various agreements in Indo-Pacific and a picture is emerging. epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TheE…
The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) on sharing geospatial intelligence will be signed during the next ‘2+2’ dialogue in New Delhi. With Beca, India can get a closer look at Pakistan in all its bare necessities, training camps and all. Info traffic to be one-way.
India and the US are expected to sign a maritime information-sharing agreement to bolster the most promising area of cooperation. Maritime cooperation is the low-key and high-yield aspect of Indo-US ties and the backbone of the Indo-Pacific strategy.
The array of meetings comes against the background of a China ‘gone rogue’ for all practical purposes, or to a place from where it’s finding it hard to come back. Opening multiple fronts, China, is pushing other countries to a place from where they may not return.
Just to recap, India and Japan deepened their military cooperation and signed a 10-year pact last week. It allows their militaries to share logistics and supplies for ships and planes besides encouraging interoperability. The Acquisition & Cross Services agreement last act of Abe
Then the US signed a defence framework agreement with the Maldives on Sept 10 to deepen relations & to maintain peace & security in the Indian Ocean. India welcomed it - a measure of change in outlook. See the web of agreements growing in the region, creating interlinkages.
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Saw a copy of the said "memo". Let's just say it doesn't pass the smell test. First, the language & grammar are too poor to meet basic IFS standard. Elitist or not but I have covered the MEA for a bit - 30 yrs to be precise. I know how they write. 1/4
2nd graf, an assault on the English language that wouldn't have got the recruit thru IFS & we're talking of the foreign secretary. "xxx have masterminded various arson and vandalization in North America x x " No way Jose. He would have written "acts of arson and vandalism." 2/4
Also 2nd Graf: Groups "x x defaming Indian government of so-called torturing, murdering and disappearing thousands of Sikhs x x " Come on. This is not even 3rd grade. What is "so-called torturing..." I can assure you top levels of MEA speak/write better than this. 3/4
Some quotable quotes from Indian foreign minister @DrSJaishankar at Carnegie India's Global Technology Summit 2022
"Technology is at the heart of geopolitics. We can't be agnostic about tech. Stop pretending there's something neutral about tech... no more neutral than economics."
"In this era of tech inter-penetration.. it matters what happens inside the black box. Where does our data reside, who harvests data, what do they do with it..." :@DrSJaishankar at #GTS2022@Rudra_81@MohanCRaja
When we look at partners – quality and sociology of partners imp. Trust and transparency are key issues. Now 'trusted geographies' in tech – geopolitical connotation becomes clear. @DrSJaishankar at #GTS2022
A few pointers from Indian foreign min @DrSJaishankar's presser: situation in Ukraine came up in various meetings across State, White House (NSA Sullivan) Commerce and USTR. “Conflict has a very direct impact on the global economy.”
.@DrSJaishankar: Fair amount of time spent on the Indo-Pacific, reviewed progress and prep for next Quad meeting. How to take it forward. Lot of discussion on how Quad countries can promote greater economic coop in the region.
>@SecBlinken and @DrSJaishankar also discussed devts. In South Asia: difficulties in Sri Lanka, changes in Pakistan, situation in Nepal, Myanmar. Minister provided India’s perspective which “clearly seems to be of some value to the Americans.”
In the press interaction after IndiaUS 2+2 dialogue @SecBlinken was asked whether he had made a decision regarding CAATSA sanctions and India's purchase of the S-400. He said "We have not made a determination." #IndiaUSDialogue
.@DrSJaishankar called the Quad a "powerful force of global good" and a "stabiliser." While the focus is all on Ukraine, he reminded his audience about Afghanistan and what that conflict brought to India's doorstep. #IndiaUSDialogue
.@SecDef Lloyd Austin said US and India were building "one of the most consequential partnerships" and taking new initiatives in Space and Cyber domains. Indo-Pacific region will be better prepared for future crises. Said China wants to "refashion" the region.
My Letter From Washington: Oh, The Wise Men From the West, India too has national interests. The developing world will pay the real price for the sanctions. epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?…
The more western commentators push India, the more they convince Indians of the validity of neutrality, including those who felt India should have condemned Russia’s invasion. To single out India for special opprobrium when key US allies are playing neutral is doublespeak.
Washington is filled with people trying to up the ante, not lower the temperature. Hyped accounts of Russian failures and Ukrainian fortitude are great to read, but to what end? If Russia is bogged down and urban warfare ensues, is that a good scenario for Europe?
.@prashantktm interviews Ashley Tellis: Decoding India-US ties post-Ukraine. I believe that PM Modi was actually quite tough in his private conversations with Putin. But certainly, in public, India has maintained a studied neutrality... hindustantimes.com/world-news/pre…
..only because it wants to preserve whatever remnants of leverage it still has with the Russians – New Delhi does not want the Russians to reach the conclusion that they have only China as a partner, with India out there uninterested in preserving the relationship with Moscow."
Tellis: "I think India erred by abstaining on the procedural vote because there was nothing in India's national interest that would have been compromised if a discussion was held—which it was anyway."