Democrat Senator Mark Warner and his Republican colleague in the Senate Dan Sullivan, during a program in Washington has asserted that the former Obama Administration and the US Congress designating India as a major defence partner is a major step forward in taking the India-US relationship to the next level.
The case for joint military operation by India and the US in areas of common interest, Senator Sullivan was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India today.
Warner, who is Co-Chair of the Senate India caucus and Ranking member of powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence expressed his displeasure of the bureaucracy from the US State Department and Department of Defense in selling the guardian drones to India.
India had requested for purchase of significant number of guardian drones for maritime surveillance, especially in the Indian Ocean.
“I have been frustrated with the Defence and State Department in terms of the sale of guardian drones. This is going to be the next great thing of defence collaboration,” Warner said, as he expressed his disappointment over what he said India’s inability to absorb the requirement of 30 per cent offset.
“Major Defence Partnership” which he said moves India into the category of non-NATO type ally, “is a great step in the right direction.”
“Actually this (Major Defence Partner) status that is only restricted to India.
The idea is to actually institutionalise the relationship,” Sullivan said in his remarks at the Widrow Wilson Center, a top American think-tank.
Warner also added that while India and the US have a very strong bond between the intelligence community, there is enormous concern not only about Pakistan’s role in unrest in Kashmir, but also the terrorist organisations from Pakistan.
Warner said India today has risen to a place where it sees itself as a major international partner. “I want to send a strong message that Pakistani can’t play” both ways, supporting one group of terrorists one hand and taking action against the others,” he said.
Sullivan said there is always an area of common interest with India. “I believe we can have strong relationship with both countries particularly in the area of international terrorism,” he said.
Source:- Defense World
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