By Simi Mehta
The concepts of cooperation, dialogue and negotiations in international relations come to occupy a sight different connotation when it is about world’s two largest democracies- the United States of America and India. It is different in the sense that bilateral cooperation is built not on the lines of politics and strategic compulsions, but a cooperation which is based on the recognition of common values and shared principles of democracy, pluralism, rule of law and free-market liberal order.
On assuming presidency, Barack Obama recognised the importance of India as a strategic and indispensible partner of the US. Terming the two countries as natural allies, the then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna in Washington in June 2010 set the stage for strategic dialogue between India and the US. This dialogue process was all-encompassing in the sense that the areas of discussion under this institutional framework would not only include all aspects of bilateral cooperation but also address and discuss on global commons, like terrorism, climate change and the like.
The fourth round of the United States- India Strategic Dialogue was held in New Delhi. On this occasion, John Kerry- the Secretary of State of the second Obama administration made his maiden visit in this position to India led a high level delegation of defense and energy officials in June 2013.
Deliberations on key strategic pillars of Indo-US relationship were succinctly undertaken which was characterized by convergence and the candor. The key issues discussed were, security, economics and technology, regional strategic and political issues, and global issues.
Secretary Kerry, who was a Senator in the second Bush administration, had batted greatly towards a nuclear deal with India, which succeeded with the subsequent agreements between the two countries. However, since this deal has not yet materialized due to constraints of liability issues, yet he highlighted the importance of the need to implement the U.S.-India civil nuclear deal “as soon as possible”. This would cater to the surge in demands for energy in India from households to agriculture and industry. His call for settling the liability issues urgently implies the benefits that both the US and India would reap.
Underscoring the importance of constructive engagements in the UN climate negotiations, he called for moving towards a global agreement, which is sensitive to and respectful of the diversity of national circumstances. The announcement of the US-India Working Group on Climate Change reflects the sincerity of the leaders of both nations to take steps to save the humanity from the havoc of global warming and climate change that has threatened the very existence of life on earth.
During this visit, discussions on space cooperation was expanded to the areas of space science, earth observation, satellite navigation, natural hazards research, disaster management support, and education. His emphasis on the peace and stability of the Indian Ocean and of the Indo- Pacific signals the strategic significance of the region. It is viewed by analysts as USA’s larger part of its strategy of “Rebalancing Asia’ that is triggered by the rise of China.
The most important aspect of this dialogue was the reaffirmation of the economic collaboration between both governments and private sectors as a keystone of the deepening partnership. Business ties have contributed to an annual two-way trade of more than$100 billion, which is a five-fold increase since the year 2000; while the total two-way foreign direct investment is nearing $30 billion, the scope of enhancement in this area is immense, especially when India is reconsidering its FDI policies. Clearly, these developments are drivers of innovation, economic growth, and job creation for both of our nations. The Dialogue had a satisfactory conclusion in the sense that within the few years since the relationship was raised to the strategic footing, where the bilateral dialogue is wide-ranging to the extent of taking the form of an all-of-government character.
(The author is a Ph.D scholar in the American Studies Program at the Centre for Canadian, United States and Latin American Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and can be reached at simimehta.08@gmail.com).
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