India Needs Time To Define Its Relationship With U.S.: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel

Any decision India makes and any decision the U.S. makes, any decision any nation makes, is always and must be always predicated on the self-interest of that country, he said.

“I think that the promise, the potential of that nuclear agreement with India was not fulfilled to its full potential certainly as quickly as the United States had hoped, and I suspect India had hoped, but we always have to adjust and adapt and be patient with the realities of internal governments and their people,” he said.

Hagel said he hoped to present some new potentials during his meetings for ways the two countries could further connect with their own common interests.

“Over the last few years, we’ve done more joint exercises in military-to-military than we ever have. Our militaries have a very good relationship. India keeps its non-aligned status, its independent status. But that does not at all indicate they are disconnected from the world or the region, but that’s for them to decide,” he added.

Hagel said he was hoping for renewal of the Defence Framework Agreement, which expires next year, in his meetings with the Indian leaders.

“Second to see if we can make some progress on getting a better understanding from the Indians what specific projects they may have interest in that fit within the framework of the defence, trade and technology initiative,” he said.

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