india

Updated: Dec 20, 2019 05:35 IST

Union ministers Rajnath Singh and S Jaishankar met US President Donald Trump after their 2+2 meetings with their American counterparts Mark Esper and Mike Pompeo Wednesday in a rare break from protocol that was seen as a reflection of the growing importance of the relationship at the senior-most level in this administration.

India and the United States had earlier in the day announced the conclusion of a key defense agreement to further enhance the interoperability of their militaries and discussed the threat of cross-border terrorism India faces from Pakistan. They had also discussed a whole range of issues, including trade, the United States joining the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure, a key global initiative launched by India at the last UNGA; H-1B visas and ongoing and increasing restrictions; Iran; the need for free and open Indo-Pacific and China; and the drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan.

Jaishankar also met lawmakers from both parties and discussions included the Citizenship (Amendment) Act — they wanted his perspective on it, H-1B visas, once again, and related legislations, and a US law that seeks to punish Russia for the 2016 election meddling with the threat secondary sanctions against its defense customers, such as India, called CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).

The meeting with the president, the possibility of which was first reported by Hindustan Times last week, took place in the Oval Office, after the two ministers had met the National; Security Adviser Robert C O’Brien. It was described as a “courtesy call” on the president, but lasted almost 30 minutes.

The president touched on a many subjects about the relationship in his discussions with the Indian minister with a “little” more on trade, which, inarguably has been a top priority for him across nations. And the ministers briefed him about their 2+2 discussions with Secretaries Pompeo and Esper.

President Trump recalled with warmth the HowdyModi outreach to the Indian diaspora he had attended with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston in September and he was “very positive, supportive of the relationship and very enthusiastic about various aspects of the relationship “, Jaishankar told reporters on Thursday. Down the road from the White House, the US House of Representatives was debating two articles of impeachment against the president at the time. He was impeached later in the evening, leaving his fate in the hands of US senate which will hold a trial in January to either remove him from office or acquit and let him continue.

The ministers’ meeting with the president was a rare break from protocol of heads of state and heads of government meeting only their counterparts, with exceptions that are always taken note of. Former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha was the last Indian minister given a White House meeting, by President George W Bush 15 years ago in 2004.

The conclusion of the Industrial Security Annex (ISA) would allow American manufacturers of defense equipment to strike deals with Indian private sector companies and share classified and sensitive information with them, expanding their ability to co-produce and co-develop sensitive defense technologies from the current confines of public sector partners. They also signed three separate pacts with regards to co-production and co-development of defense equipment under and ongoing defense trade initiative.

“Today, we are proud to conclude the Industrial Security Annex, which will facilitate collaboration between our defense industries by supporting the secure transfer of key information and technology,” US Secretary of Defense Esper told reporters. “We also finalized three agreements under the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, which will enhance our ability to co-produce and co-develop critical technologies.”

Defense Minister Singh said the conclusion of the ISA “will provide the necessary framework for pursuing co-development and co-production linkages in the defense manufacturing sector”.

External affairs minister Jaishankar told reporters after the meeting that the two sides discussed “free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific based on the recognition of ASEAN centrality and the cross-border terrorism in the region and agreed to work closely at international forums”.

He said counter-terrorism efforts have been “boosted by a growing consensus on the nature of terror threats in the region, and the dangers of cross-border terrorism and sanctuaries”.

“I appreciate very much the sentiments expressed by Secretary Pompeo on the 11th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attack,” Jaishankar went on to say, and added, “We discussed ways to address these challenges, including by working closely together at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).” The FATF has put Pakistan on notice for inclusion in its black-list of countries with inadequate measures to check funding of terrorism and money-laundering.

The US secretary of state expanded on the discussions on counter-terrorism in response to a question. “We have been unambiguous in our partnership with the Indian Government about terror, terror from wherever it emanates, whether it’s from inside of Pakistan or from anyplace else,” he said, adding, “We are determined to protect the American people from the threat of terrorism and we’re determined to work with our great democratic friends like the Indians to protect the people of India as well, and we’ll continue to work on it.”

On China, Pompeo said the two countries discussed “the risks that Chinese-built communication networks, including 5G, pose to our treasured freedoms and how China’s unfair and predatory economic activity in the Indo-Pacific presents a risk to those very freedoms.”

Singh and Jaishankar met one-on-one with their respective counterparts before the 2+2. And the Indian defense minister wrote on Twitter that he had an “excellent meeting” with Esper and “reviewed the full range of India-US defence cooperation”. The countries are “cooperating extensively in strategic & military areas”, he added.

The 2+2 ministerial came amid growing strategic convergence between the two countries and continuing efforts to resolve the vexatious issue of trade, with a deal still not in sight, not even a modest, scaled down version the two sides have agreed to shoot for, leaving the more difficult issues to a later date, including an ambitious Free Trade Agreement.

The two sides did discuss trade, as was noted by both sides, with Pompeo mentioning the ongoing talks the US trade representative Robert Lighthizer is conducting with Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal.

The state department noted the importance of trade in the relationship even though it is not in the purview of the ministries participating in the meeting. “The US and #India have shared interests in economic prosperity through trade, investment, and connectivity,” it wrote in a tweet. “In 2018, bilateral trade between our nations was $142 billion, up 13% from the prior year. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with India.”

One of the key outcomes of the second 2+2 ministerial would be, as a familiar person with the ongoing discussions, was that it took place without the postponements and cancellations that had plagued the first round, delaying it almost a year, forced by the sacking of then secretary of state Rex Tillerson and President Trump’s preoccupation at the time with talks with North Korea.

The highlight of the inaugural, which finally took place in September, in New Delhi, was the signing of Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), an enabling agreement that would dramatically expand interoperability between the militaries of the two countries. It had capped a year-long series of related developments such as the US designating India a Major Defense Partner and according STA-1 status, bringing it at par with its NATO allies for the sharing of sensitive defense technology.