The agreement, viewed as part of the Obama administration’s Pivot to Asia strategy, was criticised by a leading Chinese state-run daily, which warned that New Delhi may irritate Beijing if it “joins the U.S. alliance system”.
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He said that in the agreement, there is no provision for setting up a base in India. However, some experts have welcomed the “long delayed” agreement that has been in discussions since 2004.
What Both leaders said in their Joint Press Conference?
Though the U.S. has been pushing the Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA); Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for Geospatial Intelligence, Parrikar indicated that India is not in a hurry to sign these agreements.
Though both made it clear that the agreement would not lead to the establishment of American military bases on Indian soil, it is another significant step in building closer ties between the two countries. India, through its Act East initiative, has turned its attention to diplomacy in East Asia. But that has been changing in recent years, especially once Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected in 2014. “It is possible that the (Narendra) Modi administration is trying an unconventional way to lean toward the U.S. with the logistics agreement”, the editorial said. Parrikar clarified: “The agreement is for logistics support to each other …”
“All patriotic Indians will reject such a subordinate role to United States imperialism”, it said.
The clarification was issued through a series of tweets posted from defence ministry’s official Twitter handle.
The LEMOA Pact, essentially a defense agreement, paves the way for operational logistics, providing for mutual use of supplies, spare parts, services and refueling on each other’s military bases or navy carriers.
Reciprocal logistic support would be used exclusively during authorized port visits, joint exercises, joint training, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.
CPI (M) in a statement said, by signing the agreement, India has acquired the formal status of a military ally of the United States.
Standing alongside Mr Parrikar, United States Secretary of Defence, Ashton Carter said that not only Indian civilians but its military also has been a victim of terrorism, in an apparent reference to terrorist attack in Pathankot earlier this year. “And this gives new scope for that, as well”, Carter said. It was signed after lengthy negotiations between the two countries with India insisting that the agreement not be legally binding to ensure its strategic independence.
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India is also expected to seek more usa help in securing membership of the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG).
