India, U.S. Launch New 'Diplomacy Partnership' To Align Stands
WASHINGTON: Reflecting their dramatically expanded political, economic and strategic cooperation, India and the U.S. have announced a new Diplomacy Partnership aimed at more closely aligning their strategic perspectives, diplomatic training, and engagements around the world.
The new partnership was announced at the conclusion of the first U.S-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue co-chaired by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The Diplomacy Partnership between the U.S. State Department of and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs includes a new Policy Planning Dialogue to share perspectives on strategic challenges and opportunities.
The Diplomacy Partnership also will familiarize the two sides' diplomatic corps with each other through site visits by institute staff and diplomats, and by the exchange of best practices in diplomatic training.
As part of the Diplomacy Partnership, the U.S. and India will strengthen and expand their consultations on the full range of regional and functional diplomatic issues.
A fact sheet issued after the dialogue also noted that ten years ago, defence trade between the U.S. and India was virtually non-existent.
Over the last few years, the U.S. has signed more than $10 billion in defence sales to India.
These capabilities have strengthened India's role as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean Region, it said.
U.S and Indian businesses have partnered on the co-development of defence equipment, establishing a base from which to launch new Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) co-development and co-production efforts in the future and expand the Indian defense industrial base.
A renewed 10-year Defence Framework signed in June 2015 provides avenues for high level strategic discussions, continued exchanges between armed forces of both countries, and strengthening capabilities.
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