US calls for stronger defence ties with India

New Delhi: US defence secretary Chuck Hagel has called for a stronger defence partnership between India and America and stressed that both countries should “seize the opportunities” before them and not be bound by bureaucratic red tape. “A stronger US-India partnership is critical for sustained peace and prosperity around the globe... there is bipartisan support in the US for stronger India-US relations,” Hagel said during a talk at the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank in Delhi on Saturday.

“As our interests align, so should our armed forces. Increased investment towards defence-industrial partnership with India is the way of going forward. A robust defence partnership and joint military capabilities are to be the cornerstones of the Indo-US relationship,” he said. The US defence secretary said there were several proposals that would transfer technology and production expertise to India.

This included a plan for the US and India to co-produce and co-develop the Javelin anti-tank missile. These issues were discussed between Hagel and Indian leaders yesterday. He pointed out the challenge before both nations was to “seize the opportunities before us”.

“Bureaucratic red tape — within either of our governments — must not bound the limits of our partnership and initiatives,” he stressed in a veiled reference to Indian bureaucracy that delays defence purchases. Talking of the Lok Sabha elections, he said the polls reflected the power of a democracy and its people. “India’s elections were a reminder that democracy is not only how we vote, but also who we are.”