As part of the enhanced engagement with India in the run-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s American sojourn next month, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel will be visiting New Delhi next week holding meetings with senior Indian leaders.
Hagel is expected to call on Modi and hold parleys with his Indian counterpart, Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley. He is also likely to likely to meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.“The election of a new government offers an opportunity to fulfil the potential of our strategic partnership. And Secretary Hagel’s meetings will focus on the United States’ and India’s converging interests in the Asia-Pacific,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, giving a broad overview of Hagel’s first India visit as Defence Secretary.
Kirby spoke of the common interests between the US and India in Afghanistan and initiatives to strengthen defence cooperation, including military exercises, defence trade, co-production and co-development, and research and new technologies.The spokesman confirmed that the Hagel visit is “part of a series of (Obama) administration engagements that builds on Secretary (of State) Kerry and (Commerce) Secretary Pritzker’s participation in the US-India Strategic Dialogue this week, leading up to Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming visit to the White House in September”.
Besides the bilateral meetings, Hagel is also due to deliver remarks at an event marking the 25th anniversary of the Observer Research Foundation.In its bid not to queer the pitch at a time when it is going all out to woo Modi, the Obama administration has taken care not to publicly push India beyond a point on the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, which New Delhi has rejected in its present form.
Despite the disquiet within the US government and business circles, US Trade Representative Michael Froman has opted for a guarded comment, taking care not to single out India for attack. Instead, Froman put out a mooted statement, without naming India. “The United States regrets that a handful of (WTO) Members have decided not to adhere to their commitment to implement the TFA consistent with the Bali agreement (last December),” Froman said.
But two key Republican lawmakers did not feel constrained as they slammed the Indian government, saying its actions in Geneva leading to the collapse of the WTO negotiations on this matter have put a question mark on its credibility. “India’s actions last night to bring down implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement are completely unacceptable and put into doubt its credibility as a responsible trading partner,” said US House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, adding: “As we determine next steps, I am committed to the WTO as an institution, and I hope that we can salvage the Trade Facilitation Agreement, either with or without India.”
Joining him, Congressman Devin Nunes, who heads the panel’s trade subcommittee, charged New Delhi with pushing for “one-sided changes” after having agreed to a deal, thereby “running the risk of eliminating any sense of goodwill toward it”.