As India resumes another round of talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to negotiate India specific safeguard agreement in the Nuclear Deal, the US Secretary of Defence, Dr. Robert Gates today arrived in the capital to facilitate the defence cooperation.
In his maiden two-day visit since assuming office on 18th December, 2006 the US defence chief will meet prime minister Manmohan Singh, External Affair Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister AK Antony, the National Security Advisor Shri MK Narayanan and the leader of the Opposition Shri L K Advani.
During the Bush administration India and US has developed better military ties and a strong strategic partnership. Robert Gates’s visit can also be seen as an effort to push a deal for a U.S. defence manufacturers for a fighter jet contract potentially worth $10.2 billion.
The US firms are also competing with international rivals from Russia and European Countries for the 126 multi-role fighter jets. But the defence secretary’s visit to India will further push the possibility of US firms in setting the deal.
Gates will also meet L K Advani to discuss the Indo-US nuclear deal as India has began the next round of talks with IAEA despite opposition from Left and other political parties.
India in recent days has developed a close cooperation on various fields; both nations have repeatedly urged for closer economic and political ties and in particularly Defence. It can be viewed from the lately defence cooperation in terms of participating in mutual military exercises and have a strong framework of defence cooperation established by the 2005 Defence Framework Agreement and a comprehensive institutional framework of exchanges.
Strategic Alliance
As India is one of the largest buyers of defence equipments, the new increasing cooperation between India and US can also be observed as a strategic alliance from America to counter balance the force of China in the Asian region.
This is the fact that United States has already agreed to assist India’s energy needs through the on going civil nuclear deal despite India’s reverse stand to non-proliferation treaty.
The growing diplomatic ties between Beijing and Moscow too set US to move towards more viable post-Cold War strategic alliance with India which is a natural ally to Russia.
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