This included a tactical bio (logical) detection unit, Carter said. “Or will U.S. allow India to use its base in Oman to carry out strikes on Pakistan?” he said.
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On Tuesday, Carter said the DTTI “grasped hands” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India programme which aims to boost the domestic manufacturing sector in general and also India’s defence hardware manufacturing.
Express his delight to receive the US Defence Scretary in India, Parrikar appreciate the former’s personal commitment and guidance in deepening the strategic partnership between India and the United States.
Carter said the two relationships are separate, and the US has no interest in seeing any conflict between India and Pakistan.
In Delhi, Carter also presided over the repatriation ceremony of an American pilot’s remains from India to the US. “We always resisted pressure from everybody to be part of a military bloc”, he said. “We too have suffered from terrorism emanating from the territory, more specifically Afghanistan”, he further stated. The U.S., he said, approves of Pakistan’s effort to go after militants there. USA officials have consistently said that the government must quell its sectarian divide in order to defeat the Islamic State across the country and prepare for the aftermath of rebuilding.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter address a joint Press Conference at South Block in New Delhi.
Indian and USA militaries can now use each other’s land, air and naval bases for resupplies, fix and rest with a one-time clearance as per an agreement signed by both sides on Tuesday. Once signed, the LEMA would offer a framework for both India and the United States to share military logistics.
While Parrikar said the draft agreement will be finalised in “a month”, Carter said it will be ready in “few weeks”.
“The courtship began more than a decade ago, but in the last two years we have really seen things move a lot faster on a range of things”, said Rick Rossow, India specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
“Along with this agreement, the minister has indicated that two other agreements are on the anvil: Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA)”.
Carter is now in India on a three-day visit between April 10 and 12.
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Modi, who enjoys close ties with U.S. President Barack Obama, has in the past criticized what he called China’s “expansionist mindset”. “We know that India works with other countries as well, but we very much appreciate the collaboration with the United States”.
