Washington: Ahead new US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's visit to India, the House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment calling for expansion of the Indo-US defence cooperation and welcoming India's role in providing security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
The amendment to the National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2016 was moved by a bipartisan group of Congressmen including Joe Crowley, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus; Eliot Engel, Ranking Member of House Foreign Affairs Committee; Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and the two Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans Ami Bera and George Holding.
In addition to urging an overall expansion in defence ties, the amendment specifically calls for the US to welcome the role India plays in providing security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
It urges the US government to work cooperatively with India on matters relating to common defence, vigorously support the implementation of the US-India Defense Framework Agreement, as well as support the India Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI).
This was the first vote held by the House on US-India since the 2014 Indian elections, and comes on the heels of the defense framework advanced by US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January.
The vote comes ahead of Carter's visit to India in June during which he will sign the enhanced Defence Framework Agreement for the next ten years between the two countries.
"One of the most important decisions the US has made in recent years is to strengthen our relationship with India, including cooperation and coordination on defence matters," Crowley said.
"Our amendment makes clear that the US Congress stands firmly behind expanding and moving our defence relationship forward as we strengthen our overall strategic partnership with India," he said.
Fifteen years ago, the dynamic nature of the strategic- plus partnership that we have today with India would have been unthinkable, Engel said.
"This amendment, which has bipartisan support, reiterates that our partnership with India is far and wide in scope, from shared security in the Indo-Pacific to expanded scientific collaboration in clean energy and space exploration," he added.
Ed Royce said the US-India partnership will define the South Asia region and beyond for years to come.
"Front and center in this critical partnership is our increasing defense cooperation, which was further cemented by renewing our Defense Framework Agreement. This amendment puts the House on record supporting further cooperation between the US and Indian armed forces," he asserted.
"Continued cooperation in defence benefits both our countries as we draw down in Afghanistan and deal with terrorism around the world," Bera said, adding that this amendment demonstrates their strong support for growing the defense partnership between the two nations.
"With the emerging challenges the United States and India both face in the Indo-Pacific region and across the globe, it is essential we strengthen the defense partnership and cooperation between our two nations," Holding said.
"I am encouraged by the progress made thus far by the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative and I strongly support continued defense collaboration between the United States and India for years to come," he added.
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