Strongly committed to transparent defence ties with India: US

NEW DELHI: Noting that India's rise as a global leader was in America's interest, the US today indicated its readiness to transfer of technologies in taking defence ties beyond buyer-seller relationship to that of co-development and co-production and complement Prime Minister NarendraModi's 'Make in India' initiative.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Puneet Talwar, who is here to explore ways to expand defence cooperation, said the Obama administration is modernising the American defence exports licensing system and would like to go for more joint production of military hardware with India.

Both the countries will hold extensive discussion on a range of issues including certain co-production and co-development projects, technology transfer, renewing the 2005 defence framework pact and regional security at the Political-Military Dialogue here tomorrow.

Ahead of the dialogue, Talwar said the US was strongly committed to maintaining a "transparent and predictable process" in its defence supply and other ventures with India while noting the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) was aimed at reducing bureaucratic burdens and expedite technology-sharing and research.

He said the DTTI, through its emphasis on co-production and co-development, only complements Modi's "Make in India" initiative.

"India's rise as a regional and global leader, and its economic and strategic growth, are deeply in the US interest," Talwar said in address at the Institute for Defence and Strategic Analysis.

He said India and the US have been discussing more than a dozen co-production and co-development projects and hoped that there will be movement on some of these.

Talking about maritime security, he said both Modi and US President Barack Obama outlined their stand about the need to have freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea.

"We share a vision where all parties pursue resolution of their territorial and maritime disputes through peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," he said.