Secretary of State John Kerry will represent the United States in an annual session of Strategic Dialogue with India, scheduled for July 31, and his visit will be followed by the Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel in early August to revitalise a relationship the US sees as crucial counterbalance in Asia to an increasingly assertive China, a Reuters report quoted US officials as saying on July 16.

The report further states that they will be the most senior most American officials to visit India for talks with the new Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of his visit to the United States, slated this September.

It was at the close of the then Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s meetings with the Government of India on July 20, 2009, that the two Governments issued a joint statement regarding their intentions to accelerate the growth of their bilateral relationship to enhance global prosperity and stability in the 21st century. Both Governments had outlined a Strategic Dialogue that would focus on five principal pillars; strategic cooperation, energy and climate change, education and development, economics, trade and agriculture along with science and technology, health and innovation.

It is in line with this agreement that the annual strategic dialogue is being held ahead of the bilateral meet.

“If India and the United States are to build a truly strategic partnership, the two countries must each commit to it and defend it in equal measure”, Republican Senator John McCain has said on the Senate floor on June 26, according to a PTI report.

“We must each build the public support needed to sustain our strategic priorities,” he further added.

The best part of the India-US bilateral ties is that the both the major political parties in America are keen to see the relationship grow in strength. Wary of the Chinese role in geo-political conditions of Asia-Pacific zone, the United States wants to see India emerge stronger economically and politically in Asia.

According to the Reuters report, in testimony for a hearing of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Nisha Biswal, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia referred to planned joint military exercises involving India, the United States and Japan, a country with a growing strategic rivalry with China in East Asia. “We see opportunities for increasing the collaboration across Southeast Asia,” she said. “We are engaging more frequently in consultations and dialogue with India on ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and look forward to increased and more frequent consultations across the East Asian sphere,” Biswal said, adding that “A rising India is in some ways going to be an ameliorating influence on China, in China’s own growth and China’s own behaviour in the region.”

At a time when Narendra Modi has sent clear signals to the world that his Government is committed to bring the nation’s economy back on growth track, the NDA Government in India has been keen for better multilateral ties with Japan and even Russia and China, as was clear from last week’s BRICS Summut.

India wants to create mutually beneficial relationship with the USA that can sustain growth for both nations as partners. United States knows that a strong democratic India is in the interest of peaceful global order. That is why these strategic dialogues will play a vital role in ironing out differences, creating road map for future growth and ensure that September end Modi-Obama talks bear maximum yield for both the nations.

Source: Niti Central

Washington: A top American lawmaker has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to focus India-US partnership on an ambitious strategic agenda.

“It was my clear impression from meeting with the prime minister that he wants to focus our partnership on an ambitious strategic agenda,” said Senator John McCain, who recently met Modi.

“That was certainly the impression we had as well in our conversation,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal said in response.

A few days after McCain’s meeting, Biswal accompanied Deputy Secretary of State William Burns to meet Modi in New Delhi this month.

“We think that we have a very strong opportunity in terms of the security cooperation and the defence partnership. The PM in his conversation with us talked about defence manufacturing as a key area that India would like to pursue. We think that there is scope and particularly the Indian budget did increase the FDI cap to 49 per cent,” Biswal said.

She said with Burns they had a very good meeting with the Prime Minister, finance minister, external affairs minister and various other members of the cabinet.

“They have identified a desire for an increased US-India cooperation in infrastructure, in manufacturing, in the energy sector and certainly looking at the whole issue of skills and how we can improve access to education and skills in terms of the Indian population,” She said.

Those are all areas where we think that American educational institutions and American businesses, American technology bring very significant added value, she said.

“We’re looking to see how we can address some of those areas in more specificity as we look forward to the strategic dialogue and to the Prime Minister’s visit here,” she said.

Highlighting the two country’s greater collaboration in defence and security partnership, Biswal said “we also are going to advance our ability to work together around strategic objectives in the region”.

“Whether it’s in terms of India’s engagement in East Asia and working with us on issues of maritime security, whether it’s in terms of India’s engagement across South and Central Asia and the role that it plays,” she said.

We certainly look to improve our relationship with respect to how we’re working together to address problems in the region and across the globe, she said.

“I think that those are all areas that we need to strengthen the collaboration between our two countries,” she said.

She said this was an important time to re-examine the US- India relationship.

“The historic elections this spring conferred an unprecedented mandate on Prime Minister Modi to create historic opportunity as well in energising our relationship with India,” she said.

Source: ZeeNews

Updated with Rep. Ted Poe and Rep. Eni Faleomavaega joining Rep. Sherman as leading signatories on the Dear Colleague invite letter 

Dear Colleague,

India’s newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the United States in late September 2014.
As you know, India is the world’s largest democracy and recently held the largest democratic election in history. The United States and India have a strategic partnership, and our nations share core values of individual freedom, religious pluralism, and electoral democracy.
Please join us in sending the letter below to House and Senate leadership asking for an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to address a Joint Session of Congress. To sign on, please contact Siamak Kordestani at Siamak.Kordestani@mail.house.gov or 55911.
Sincerely,
Brad Sherman Ted Poe Eni Faleomavaega
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress

text of letter:
RE: Invite Indian Prime Minister Modi to Address Joint Session in Late September 2014
Dear Mr. Speaker, Madam Minority Leader, Mr. Majority Leader, and Mr. Minority Leader,
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Washington in late September 2014. Given the importance of our relationship with India, we ask you to invite Prime Minister Modi to address a Joint Session of Congress.
As you know, India recently held the largest democratic exercise in history; about 550 million people voted in free and fair elections.
Since recognizing India’s independence in 1947, the United States and India’s relationship has steadily grown. The United States and India share many core values, including religious pluralism, individual freedom, the rule of law, and electoral democracy.
We have an opportunity to build on the U.S-India strategic partnership to the benefit of both our nations. India is a growing economic power in a strategically important region of the world. New Delhi plays a critical role in regional peace and security.
In each of the last three decades, a Prime Minister of India has addressed a Joint Session of Congress, and the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi will allow us to continue that tradition.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Members of Congress

Washington:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, once denied a visa to enter the United States over massacres of Muslims, is expected to receive the honour of addressing a joint session of the US Congress during a visit to Washington in September.

California Republican Ed Royce, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote to House Speaker John Boehner on Friday and asked that he invite Mr Modi to address a joint session of the House and Senate during his trip.

“In every aspect – whether it be in political, economic or security relations – the United States has no more important partner in South Asia,” the letter said. “It is not an overstatement to say that the US-India relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.”
Mr Boehner’s office did not immediately announce a response to the letter, which was also signed by North Carolina Republican Representative George Holding. Congressional aides said they expected an invitation would be issued to the Mr Modi.

The administration of President George W Bush denied Mr Modi a visa in 2005 under a 1998 US law barring entry to foreigners who have committed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”

In 2002, when Mr Modi had just become Gujarat’s chief minister, more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots in the state. Mr Modi denied any wrongdoing. India’s Supreme Court ruled in 2010 he had no case to answer.

President Barack Obama congratulated PM Modi on his election victory in mid-May and invited him to the White House. (Read)

The United States, which sees India as a natural ally and potential counterbalance to China in Asia, is eager to expand business and security cooperation with the Modi government.

However, the relationship has failed to live up to that billing, due to bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles in India to expanded business ties and a political dispute over US’ treatment of an Indian diplomat accused of mistreating her nanny, which some analysts blamed on a lack of policy focus by the Obama administration.

Foreign heads of states and heads of government have been invited to address joint meetings of Congress since the early 1800s, normally to underscore their countries’ close allegiance with the United States.

The last such address was South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s more than a year ago, on May 8, 2013.

Source: NDTV.com

It is America calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Washington and New York top policy makers and think tank wallahs are saying that a grand red carpet awaits team Modi when he visits Washington for his first summit meeting with the US President Barack Obama in September.
The reason the US is so positive about Modi is that they see in him a leader who they can do business with, deliver on the promises and take tough decisions. The failure of the UPA in not getting the nuclear liability law passed in the Parliament shook the faith of the US policy makers, and India went out of the Presidential radar. The idea now, is to bring back the focus on India through a grand visit by Modi.

Insiders say that the visit is being planned as a stand alone one and India’s Ambassador to the US, S. Jaishankar was in recently in New Delhi to talk to senior leaders. While US Under Secretary Nisha Biswal was also in New Delhi recently to do some ground work, Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to soon sit for a quick round of strategic dialogue with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, which will provide a fresh impetus to Indo-US relationship.

An informed senate insider says that there is already efforts are being made to ensure that the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy is heard not only by the Indian ‘caucus’ but also gets to address the joint session of the US Congress and reach out to Americans and highlight his vision of a strong Indo-US relationship.

The strategic pandits in Washington are also particularly upbeat about, apart from Modi, is run Jaitley donning the hat of the Finance and Defence Minister, as both have proven credentials of being progressive reformers who can implement big ideas.

Richard (Rick) Rossow, the smartest of the pack and the Wadhwani chair of Indo-US studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, says that the US is looking to get back its love affair with India back on track. Ask him the expectations in Washington are and he replies, “Getting better nuclear liability, removing FDI caps on e-commerce, strengthening the defence relationship and signing the high-level bilateral investment protection treaty, will bring the momentum back to the relationship.”

Another important point, which is also echoed by many corporate leaders and trade bodies, is reminding the BJP of its own manifesto. “Jaitley had said that the government will end tax terrorism and send a strong message to investors. I think it will be a huge step forward,” Rossow adds.

Many in New Delhi will agree that cases like the Vodafone tax issue sent out the wrong messages to foreign investors. This community will be watching the Modi visit very closely and seeing what efforts is he taking to now make India more attractive as an investment destination.

Indian Americans, are also looking forward to the visit, and many expect that it will overcome current irritants like the Devyani Khobragade affair which had brought some dents in the strategic relationship. “Indian Americans are looking forward to meeting him as he is a strong decisive leader…the diaspora is looking forward to his visit,” said Sanjay Puri Chairman, of the US-India political action committee. Asked as to what he wanted as the takeaway from the Mod visit, Puri said, “The Obama administration should simplify export of natural gas to India and fast track free trade agreement to expand energy and defence cooperation.”

But as Washington prepares its laundry list, it is important that it addresses India’s concerns. Terrorism coming from Pakistan will be the major issue here. Consular issues, such as the providing more visas for Indian professionals, ensuring a level playing field for Indian companies in the US are some of the other matters likely to be discussed between Prime Minister Modi and the US President.

For Obama administration it is now or never. The window of opportunity is fast slipping away, as the upcoming polls in November, may see the Republicans wrestling control of the Senate. The administration, thus, needs to roll out enough bipartisan strands so the Indo-US relationship can be suitably Modi-fied to get back on track as soon as possible.

Building bridges closer home

At the heart of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic policy lies a renewed focus on India’s neighbours. The PM wants to allay fears India will be a big bully in the future. Modi has already signalled he will strengthen ties with the neighbours by receiving the SAARC leaders at his swearing in ceremony. While Bhutan was chosen by the Prime Minister as his first pit stop on his diplomatic journey because of being a special friend, it was also to signal to the Bhutanese leadership that India will be a genuine friend and will continue to value Thimphu’s partnership.

Against all odds, Bhutan’s present King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has steered the India relationship as his country’s top focus and the elected government in Thimphu has maintained that policy. It was important that Modi creates a rapport with the Bhutanese leadership which will also send the message of friendship to the other neighbours.

Bhutan has helped India keep tabs on north eastern insurgent groups. This visit will also send a message to neighbours like China which has nurtured ambitions of strategic inroads to Bhutan and put enormous pressure on the Bhutanese government to open a diplomatic mission in Thimphu.

New NSA set to revamp security

Former IB director Ajit Doval is the new NSA for Team Modi.He was the deft negotiator at Kandahar during the hijack of IC 814 aircraft in December 2009 and now he is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s choice for the National Security Advisor. Former Director of Intelligence Bureau and IPS officer, Ajit Doval, knows his turf well. An expert on counter terrorism, he is an insider who has already enthused the security apparatus that is looking forward to some out-of-the-box ideas in the national security apparatus.
While Doval will primarily focus on the immediate neighbourhood, he also has a vast network of contacts both within the police hierarchy and in the strategic domain which should go a long way in ensuring that the agencies are able to focus on the task of combating terrorism more effectively with quick decision making and reduced red-tape.

– Team Modi has hit the ground running. Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley might have his hands full, managing both portfolios but so far has been doing an excellent job heading both the departments. So when former Army Chief General V.K. Singh tweeted against the choice of General Suhag as the new Army Chief, he was soundly ticked off. That’s not all. In the middle of the Budget preparation, Revenue Secretary Rajiv Takru was shifted out and Fertiliser Secretary Shaktikanta Das was brought in. Das had efficiently handled the Special Economic Zones during his stint in Tamil Nadu. The message coming across is clear – the government will only value and reward those who perform. Clearly, a welcome sign.

Author: Saurabh Shukla

Source: IndiaToday