Mattis coming, India for bigger regional role

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 23

Bilateral relations, situation in the neighbourhood and an expanded role for India in the region would be on the agenda of US Secretary of State James Mattis, who arrives here next week for talks.

“This is the first Cabinet-level visit to India under the [Donald] Trump administration,” the US Department of Defence said in a statement.

During the September 26-28 visit, Mattis will hold discussions with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and meet PM Narendra Modi. Besides bilateral ties, situation in Afghanistan and Delhi’s increased role in the region would figure in talks.

The visit comes weeks after President Trump announced a new Afghanistan policy that articulates Washington’s desire that New Delhi does more for Kabul. India welcomed the policy while underscoring its contribution in capacity building of the war-torn country.

On the bilateral military front, a new script of Indo-US ties notwithstanding, the relations have wrinkles that need “ironing”. India is looking at latest technology in weapons and equipment for its ‘Make in India’ projects while US has apprehensions over sharing it.

The US-India Business Council recently wrote a letter to the Ministry of Defence seeking clarifications in “ambiguity” over ownership and control of technologies under the newly announced ‘strategic partnership’ policy. Mattis will have his hands full to address the issue of technology transfer and push for greater cooperation under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative, which made insignificant progress since its announcement in 2012.