But India has had concerns that such agreements would commit it to hosting USA troops at its bases, or draw it into a military alliance with the U.S. and undermine its traditional autonomy.
Advertisement
The agreement has been under discussion between two sides since 2004. Carter and Parrikar reached an agreement “in principle” in April, but had yet to finalise the details.
But Mr Parrikar summed up the change in priorities – strategic and military – in his opening statement at the joint press conference with Mr Carter at Washington: “Indeed, defence cooperation between India and the U.S. has never been stronger than it is today”.
“It raises a genuine and grave apprehension regarding India being unwarrantedly drawn into an operation military design in Asia-Pacific region and Middle-East”.
Carter said the agreement will be a “very substantial enabler” for the two countries to work together.
Washington, which has signed more than 100 such agreements with partner nations, promoted the deal as a way of building interoperability between the two militaries.
“It does not have anything to do with setting up bases”. This landmark step will allow both militaries to share each other’s facilities, and support maintenance of supplies. “That’s certainly true with respect to terrorist acts perpetrated against Indian people, and also I should mention, the Indian military, which has happened as well”, Mr Carter said.
The Indian Defence Ministry also took to Twitter to dispel fears regarding the agreement.
“LEMOA is a facilitating agreement that establishes basic terms, conditions, and procedures for reciprocal provision of Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services between the armed forces of India and the United States”. These will be provided during pre-planned joint training or exercises, transit, and during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. The long-awaited bilateral military logistics cooperation is just one item that is expected to be ticked off in a US-India defence agenda.
Contacted by IANS, former Defence Minister Antony said: “I will not comment unless I read the agreement”.
The pact was inked by Parrikar with US Defence Secretary Ash Carter at Pentagon during his ongoing visit. This triggers concerns about the loss of sovereign control of territory because these will be fully under United States military control, to which Indians may even be denied entry. India’s major defence partner status allows it access to nearly 99% of the latest American defence technologies.
Part of the reason to go ahead and clinch the LEMOA is also perhaps New Delhi’s way of signalling to Beijing that India is willing to go further than it has gone so far in maintaining a balance of power in Asia and not allow China a free run in the geo-politics of the continent.
Advertisement
With India and the USA on Monday reaffirming the “urgent necessity” for Pakistan to “dismantle safe havens for terrorists and criminal networks” including Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and D Company, Kharge said, “We are telling the entire world that Pakistan is encouraging terrorism and they are sponsoring it; and many times they themselves claimed that how to support them to help the Kashmir people, such pleas they are making”.
