The United States will support India to defend territorial sovereignty and liberty, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said here on Tuesday. Addressing the media at the end of the 3rd India-U.S. “2+2” dialogue, Mr. Pompeo also said the Communist Party of China is not a friend of democracy and rule of law as the ministerial-level dialogue led to the signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA).
“The United States will stand with the people of India as they face threats to their sovereignty and their liberty,” said Mr. Pompeo clearly referring to the tense scenario in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese forces are facing each other at least since May. Mr. Pompeo also referred to the greater threats posed by China in the Asia-Pacific region and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our leaders and our citizens see with increasing clarity that the CCP is no friend to democracy, the rule of law, transparency, nor to freedom of navigation, the foundation of a free and open and prosperous Indo-Pacific. I am glad to say the U.S. and India are taking steps to strengthen cooperation against all manner of threats and not just those posed by the Chinese Communist Party,” Mr. Pompeo told the media at the Hyderabad House here.
Also read: India, U.S. ink strategic defence pact
The comments about the Chinese side came as India declared signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) with the U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said, “BECA will enable greater sharing of geospatial information between our armed forces.” India and the U.S. also sealed an MoU on Technical Cooperation in Earth Observations and Earth Sciences and an agreement to extend duration of the MoU regarding the Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership. The two sides also signed an agreement on electronic exchange of customs data and a letter of intent regarding cooperation in traditional Indian medicines.
Mr. Pompeo also referred to the loss of lives of Indian soldiers in the clash with the Chinese PLA troops in June and said India and the U.S. are committed to uphold common values against threats. “Today morning we have been to the National War Memorial to pay homage to the brave men and women of the Indian armed forces who have sacrificed for the world’s largest democracy including 20 that were killed by the PLA forces in Galwan valley in June.”
Explaining the “2+2” dialogue, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the discussions had a political military content. “Our national security convergences have obviously grown in a more multipolar world. We meet today to not only advance our own interests but to ensure that our bilateral cooperation makes a positive contribution in the world arena,” said Dr. Jaishankar.
Speaking about the conclusion of BECA ahead of the U.S. presidential election, a highly placed government source said the presence of the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defence in India despite the election season in the U.S. is a sign of the importance that the U.S. attaches to India. “It is a demonstration to the world at large,” said the official about the discussions.
Geospatial information exchange
The last foundational agreement BECA enables exchange of geospatial data and information and will improve the accuracy of India’s missiles during precision strikes.
BECA will help share geospatial maps and charts which may have been acquired from multiple sources like satellites, UAVs, reconnaissance aircraft, aerostats among others, said Captain (IN) Vikram Mahajan (Retd), Director, Aerospace and Defence at the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum. “Data shared from BECA will help in identifying, updating and tracking of various types of target and their position, both on land and sea,” he told The Hindu.
Terming the signing of BECA a “significant achievement”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the U.S. accepted an Indian request for “cooperation in the advanced field of maritime domain awareness”. “Both sides agreed to comprehend the requirements and initiate processes for joint development of requisite systems and expertise,” he said.
As part of measures to enhance military-to-military cooperation, Mr. Singh said both liaison officers (LO) at each other locations and now “LOs at each other’s establishments could be leveraged to enhance our information sharing architecture”. In the joint statement after the talks, both sides “reiterated their intent to assign additional liaison officers.”