By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
DELHI, India, June 5, 2012 –
Military-to-military relations between the United States and India have gotten
so good there is literally nothing leaders cannot talk about, including an
increased Indian role in Afghanistan, U.S. defense officials said here today.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will
meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Shiv Shankar Menon, India’s
national security advisor, today, and Indian Defense Minister A.K. Anthony
tomorrow. Panetta will also deliver a speech at the Institute for Defense
Studies and Analysis today.
Officials speaking on background said
Panetta would emphasize three themes during his visit. The first -- rebalancing
U.S. military power to the Asia-Pacific -- continues a message his trip to
Singapore, Vietnam and now India is designed to highlight.
India was the only country mentioned by
name in the new strategic guidance first promulgated in January. Panetta’s
meetings with Indian leaders and his speech are designed to provide options and
encourage discussion, a senior defense official said. The speech specifically
will point to how critical India is to promoting peace and stability in the
region.
The United States and India share many
of the same values and those values are represented by key principles,
officials said. These principles are the rule of law, adherence to international
norms and standards, freedom of navigation, the right for countries to pursue
their economic interests unfettered and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
“It’s only natural as India plays a more
active role in the broader Asia-Pacific region, that we would partner with
India,” the senior defense official said.
The second theme of the engagement lies
in India’s critical location as the crossroads between East and West Asia. “Not
only do we value India’s partnership in promoting stability and prosperity in
East Asia, but also the peace and stability in Afghanistan and South Asia more
generally,” the official said.
In the past decade, India has not played
a large role in Afghanistan, but it has steadily increased economic investments
in the country. The official said the United States welcomes India playing a
more active political and economic role in Afghanistan. “We welcome India’s
contributions to training the Afghan national army and Afghan national police,”
he said.
The official said there is always the
chance that the historic distrust between India and Pakistan could spill over
if India helps Afghan national security forces, but “this is not predestined,
this does not have to be the case,” he said. “India and Pakistan share an
interest -- the same interest we have -- of peace and stability in
Afghanistan.”
All nations of the region and
international allies of Afghanistan need to work together to “harmonize”
approaches to Afghanistan, the senior defense official said.
The third theme Panetta will stress is
the bilateral defense relationship between India and the United States. Over
the past 10 years the defense relationship between India and the United States
has steadily improved. U.S. and Indian service members now regularly exercise
together and there is a robust exchange program between the two militaries. And
U.S.-India military exercises have increased in scope and complexity over the
years.
In 2011, the U.S. military conducted
more than 50 significant military activities with India, and Panetta would like
to see these exercises become larger and more challenging to both militaries.
India is a valued customer as well. In
the past 11 years, India has bought around $8.5 billion worth of defense
equipment from the United States. “India has a large military and each of its
services is modernizing,” the official said.
The bottom line of Panetta’s visit to
India is that it allows him to consult with Indian officials on a full-range of
subjects. “There is nothing that we can’t discuss with India,” the official
said. “We look forward to harmonizing our approaches with India and other
countries in the region.”
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