Foreign Secretary (FS) S Jaishankar on Monday said that though Indo-US ties are in a transition mode, some conceptual problems still exist between them. Speaking on the topic of ‘India-US 2015: Partnering for Peace and Prosperity’ during a seminar at the Vivekananda International Foundation here, the FS said there are some ‘real issues’ between the two countries and the two sides have to be “innovative and bolder” about looking at possibilities.
For instance, Jaishankar said, sometimes there are unrealistic business demands that do not really take into account the abilities of the partner. “We saw some of that expressed in the Special 301 Report in Section 332 hearing we had last year. I think these are today’s real issues,” FS said.
The Special 301 Report by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) identifies trade barriers to US companies and products due to intellectual property laws such as copyright, patents and trademarks in other countries. Jaishankar said that since both countries have entered a new era in, they should work on their differences and move together on commonalities.
While talking about bilateral opportunities between the two countries the FS said huge opportunities await American companies. Jaishankar invited US to play a larger role in the Indian Ocean. “As a diplomatic posture point I think if the American trumpet was more certain in this region, it would be helpful,” he said
Emphasizing on the need to move away from the post-World War II political order, Jaishankar said, “Both the countries need to be careful in terms of progressing their ties and positioning it. There is a conceptional problem that we still have to overcome and it is a fact that the post second World War political order is still very much alive.”
On the importance of symbolism, the FS said the Bill Clinton administration’s stand on Kargil war and his subsequent visit, and the Bush administration’s position on the nuclear deal was a welcome departure from the past. While talking about the symbolic significance of President Barack Obama’s visit to participate in the Republic Day celebrations, he cautioned against the dangers ahead.