New Delhi, (Samajweekly) The US and India are also closely coordinating on regional security issues, such as Afghanistan.
The US supports India’s emergence as a leading global power and vital partner in efforts to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability, and growing prosperity and economic inclusion.
As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in New Delhi Wednesday, deepening the strategic partnership between the US and India will be a key agenda item.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visit to India will reaffirm the US’s commitment to strengthening our partnership and underscore cooperation on our shared priorities.
Secretary Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss a wide range of issues, including continued cooperation on Covid-19 response efforts, Indo-Pacific engagement, shared regional security interests, shared democratic values, and addressing the climate crisis, US State Department said.
The US and India have a strong strategic partnership founded on shared values and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The US supports India’s emergence as a leading global power and vital partner in efforts to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability, and growing prosperity and economic inclusion.
The US and India cooperate on a wide range of diplomatic, economic and security issues, including defence, non-proliferation, regional cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, shared democratic values, counterterrorism, climate change, health, energy, trade and investment, peacekeeping, the environment, education, science and technology, agriculture, space, and oceans.
An increase in exchanges under the agreement has allowed for the development of new and innovative programs, and India now has the largest Fulbright Scholar (faculty) program in the world. In FY 2019, this funding provided opportunities for 61 US scholars, 66 Indian scholars, 80 U.S. students, including 29 English Teaching Assistants, and 55 Indian students, including 13 Foreign Language Teaching Assistants.
The US and India are working to expand cooperation in international organizations. The US welcomed India joining the UN Security Council in January 2021 for a two-year term.
In October 2020, India hosted the third 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, and the US looks forward to the next 2+2 later this year.
India is a leading global power and a key U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. At the inaugural Quad Leader’ Summit in March, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi joined their Japanese and Australian counterparts in pledging to respond to the economic and health impacts of Covid-19, combat the climate crisis, and address shared challenges, including in cyber-space, critical technologies, counterterrorism, quality infrastructure investment, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maritime security.
The State Department said the US-India defence cooperation is reaching new heights, including through information sharing, liaison officers, increasingly complex exercises like Malabar, and defence enabling agreements, such as the secure communications agreement COMCASA. As of 2020, the US has authorized over $20 billion in defence sales to India.
Through the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative, the US and India work together on co-production and co-development of defence equipment.
The United States has contributed more than $200 million for India’s Covid-19 relief and response efforts since the pandemic began, including more than $50 million in emergency supplies and training for more than 2,18,000 frontline health workers on infection prevention and control, benefitting more than 43 million Indians.
The US and India are partnering to strengthen the global response to Covid-19, on issues ranging from addressing infectious disease outbreaks to strengthening health systems to securing global supply chains.
US pharmaceutical companies have coordinated with Indian companies since the beginning of the pandemic. This cooperation includes voluntary licensing and technology transfer agreements to increase global manufacturing capacity for Covid-19 vaccines, therapies, and conducting clinical trials.
Under the new Agenda 2030 Partnership, the US and India look forward to launching the new Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue, led by Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and relaunching the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership, led by Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, later this year.
The US looks forward to further cooperation with India on tackling the climate crisis and raising global ambition ahead of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, UK, in November.
