India now ‘Major Defence Partner’ of US

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 8

India’s diplomatic dexterity of having separate-yet-equal military relations with the US and Russia showed up again today. New Delhi engaged with Washington on the outcomes of getting ‘Major Defence Partner’ status, besides increased military-to-military exercises and counter-terrorism.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar met his US counterpart Ashton Carter in New Delhi along with delegations of both the countries. The meeting comes just weeks after Parrikar had met his Russian counterpart General Sergey Shoigu in New Delhi and proposed India-Russia joint ventures in producing spares for military equipment and to make military contact the guiding force in the ties.

Parrikar-Carter meeting today was the seventh in the past year-and-a-half. Parrikar said at the meeting: “It is not an exaggeration that our defence engagements are a major driver in our bilateral relations.” He also pointed out how discussions had concluded to have a major defence partnership.

Carter, who is on his way out with the end of President Barack Obama’s term, told the delegates: “Today, our defence partnership takes a major step as we designate India as Major Defence Partner (MDP).”

A joint statement issued later tonight said: “Today, we finalised India’s designation as a “Major Defence Partner” of the United States. The designation as a “MDP is a status unique to India and institutionalises the progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level on a par with that of the United States’ closest allies and partners.

“It permits us to do things with India that have never been possible before. And it creates a presumption of approval for transactions with India,” Carter was quoted by the official US website as having said.