U.S. Keen on Military Ties with India in Re-Balanced Asia-Pacific

Washington: Describing the Indian Army as the "most influential" in Asia Pacific, a top U.S. general wants to work with regional partners such as India and Egypt to help shape a prosperous and stable global order.

"Military to military relationships are very important especially in times of crisis," U.S. Chief of Army Staff General Raymond T Odierno said in a talk on "Squaring the circle: American military strategy in a time of declining resources."

"Going over there and establishing personal relationships with (military) leaders of India help us when if a crisis occurs, we then know each other. We can have a conversation. We can talk about issues and for me that is worth a lot," he said.

Noting that a large majority of Indian military leaders were educated in the U.S., Odierno, who has just returned from a visit to India, said: "So that helps us to understand each other as we go forward."

"So for me that's the kind of thing we have to do as we tackle some of the tough problems," he said addressing the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a Washington-based think tank on U.S. policy of re-balance towards the Asia-Pacific region.

"As you look at the Asia Pacific, it's about competition for resources, limited resources," Odierno said. "It's about making sure that everyone is able to sustain their own sovereignty and their interests."

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