Deal-making after hugs: India-US finalize defense deals worth $3 bn, sign 3 MoUs in the energy sector

During Trump’s visit, India and US expanded cooperation, finalized defense deals worth $3 bn and signed 3 MoUs in the energy sector.

A successful two-day trip culminated with a carefully handled press interaction by US President Donald Trump. India and the US decided to forge ahead on all spheres of the relationship despite the concerns regarding the tough negotiations on trade but the US President clearly side-stepped all domestic issues of India or those that India considers “internal”.

“I am going to be not at all controversial and blow the two days, plus two days of travel on one answer, one little answer…that will be the end of the trip. They will not talk about the trip,” he said while addressing the media on Tuesday at ITC Maurya in New Delhi.

When asked a question on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the violence, he said that it was a matter for India to look into. “I don’t want to talk about that. Will leave it to India to make the right decisions for their people. It is really up to India,” said Trump.

The issue of religious freedom did come up during the restricted dialogue and President Trump said that he got a “powerful” answer from the Prime Minister.

A very powerful answer from the PM

“I had a very powerful answer from the PM… He told me, as far as Muslims are concerned, there are 200 million Muslims in India, a fairly short while ago there were 14 million,” he said.

Although there is a discrepancy in figures since the number of Muslims in India was never at 14 million, the Indian side had also confirmed that the conversation regarding religious freedom did take place.

During a briefing after the talks, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said, “On religious freedom, there was an appreciation on both sides that pluralism and diversity are a common binding factor in both countries.”

Another controversial issue that came up during the talks was Kashmir. Trump clarified that he never “offered” to “mediate” but added that there are always two sides to a story and if needed, he will do what it takes.

While the two sides have been on the same page on all counts, a certain discomfort was felt with Trump praising Pakistan on Indian soil. He lauded the efforts of Pakistan in fighting terror at the Motera stadium in Ahmedabad, during the joint press statement, and at the separate media interaction.

Talks in discussion

“In our discussions, Prime Minister Modi and I affirmed our two countries’ commitment to protecting our citizens from radical Islamic terrorism. In this effort, the United States is also working productively with Pakistan to confront terrorists who operate on its soil”, President Trump said alongside PM Modi in the lawns of Hyderabad House in New Delhi after the talks.

But, the India-US Joint Statement: “Vision and Principles for India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership” unequivocally condemns Pakistan on providing safe havens to terrorists.

“Prime Minister Modi and President Trump denounced any use of terrorist proxies and strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms. They called on Pakistan to ensure that no territory under its control is used to launch terrorist attacks and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot. They called for concerted action against all terrorist groups including Al-Qa’ida, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Hizb-ul Mujahideen, the Haqqani Network, TTP, D-Company, and all their affiliates”, the joint statement said.

In terms of the substance of the ties, the two leaders spent five hours in various stages of discussions since Donald Trump arrived on Monday.

Indian and US forces are conducting maximum training exercises

The biggest takeaway from the visit was moving forward in the energetic, defense and strategic sphere. The $3 billion-worth of helicopter purchase was a significant deal and sources say $8-10 billion worth of deals are in the offing.

“Noting that a strong and capable Indian military supports peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, and reaffirming his pledge to support the transfer to India of advanced US military technology, President Trump welcomed India’s recent decision to procure MH-60R naval and AH-64E Apache helicopters. These capabilities will advance shared security interests, job growth and industrial cooperation between both countries”, the joint statement said.

Indian and US forces are conducting maximum training exercises. In the last few years, there has been an unprecedented increase in interoperability between Indian and US armies.

“The increasing defense and security cooperation between India and the United States is a very important aspect of our strategic partnership. Cooperation in ultra-modern defense equipment and platforms will enhance India’s defense capabilities. Our defense manufacturers are becoming a part of each other’s supply chains”, PM Modi in the joint statement.

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