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India, US to carry forward politico-military dialogue |
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In a clear indication of their growing confidence in each other, India and the United States have agreed to take forward their politico-military dialogue through regular consultations on a wide range of issues, including terrorism and the international security environment, writes P. Jayaram.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca, who concluded two days of detailed discussions with senior Indian officials here, told mediapersons on April 10 that Lincoln Bloomfield, an Assistant Secretary in the State Department and Director for Political and Military Affairs, would visit New Delhi on April 30 for the dialogue.
Besides terrorism, including cyber terrorism, and the security environment, the two sides will discuss military-to-military exchanges and defence-related licensing processes.
Rocca, who called on External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, praised India’s offer to patrol the Malacca Strait to secure the vital sea-lane that links the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and provides the shortest route for oil tankers between the Middle East and South Asian countries. “How happy we are India is taking such steps,” she said and added that it reflected the vast transformation which had taken place in relations between New Delhi and Washington.
When a reporter suggested that the U.S.-led war on terrorism was causing “collateral damage” in the form of attacks on Muslims in various parts of the world, including Gujarat, she said the U.S.-led campaign was against terrorism. “This is not a war against Muslims,” she asserted. Rocca expressed concern about tension between India and Pakistan and urged both countries to “moderate the weather” along their border. “The situation continues to be of concern to us,” she said referring to the four-month-old border standoff between the two countries and added that when two armies were positioned in close proximity, there was always the possibility of “accidental hostilities” breaking out.
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