US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis convened with India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi. The ‘2+2’ talks represent a format of dialogue where defense and foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country. This framework was announced during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in June 2017, replacing the prior Strategic and Commercial Dialogue between foreign and commerce ministers.
The COMCASA Agreement
India and the US penning down the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) represents a significant outcome of the summit. Designed to provide a legal structure for transferring communication security equipment from the US to India, COMCASA is set to facilitate interoperability between their forces and potentially other militaries using US-origin systems for secure data links.
Highlights and Benefits of the COMCASA Agreement
This India-specific agreement, effective immediately and having a 10-year duration, provides India full access to relevant US equipment without disruptions. Its benefits range from providing Indian armed forces the capability to fully exploit the potential of US military platforms to securing access to the Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIXS), a secure US communication system network.
Concerns Surrounding the COMCASA Agreement
The COMCASA agreement has raised concerns about potential access of the US Navy to India’s secure communication network and possible data sharing with Pakistan. However, India asserted that such data cannot be disclosed or transferred without its consent.
Inaugural Tri-Services Exercise and Other Cooperative Measures
In addition to agreeing on conducting an inaugural tri-services exercise, both nations decided to increase personnel exchanges and commence naval engagements in the West Asian region between the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and the Indian Navy.
Countermeasures Against Terrorism
Counter-terrorism cooperation featured prominently in the talks, with both countries agreeing to enhance their collaboration in multilateral forums such as the UN and Financial Action Task Force. They urged Pakistan to prevent its territory from being used to launch terrorist attacks and to bring the architects of the Mumbai, Pathankot, and Uri attacks to justice.
Dealing with International Sanctions and Trade Relations
While the US reiterated its full support for India’s membership into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, it demanded India to cease oil imports from Iran by November. This could potentially impact India’s oil supply since approximately 25% of its crude oil comes from Iran. Besides, the US has called for reducing India’s $23 billion trade surplus and expects India to increase imports of American oil, gas, and aircraft.
US-India Collaboration in the Indo-Pacific Region and Afghanistan
The joint statement advancing a free and inclusive Indo-Pacific region signals an intent to curb Beijing’s influence in the South China Sea. In addition to this, the US recognized India as a crucial part of its South-Asia strategy and welcomed India’s enhanced role in Afghanistan’s economic development and stabilization.
The Four Foundational Agreements between the US and its Partners
These agreements allow militaries to share intelligence, have access to each other’s designated military facilities for refueling and replenishment, and share geospatial and satellite data. India has signed three out of the four agreements, with only the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) remaining unsigned.
Generalised System of Preference (GSP)
The GSP is the largest and oldest US trade preference program, established by the Trade Act of 1974. It promotes economic development by eliminating duties on thousands of products when imported from one of 120 designated beneficiary countries and territories, providing opportunities for the world’s poorest countries to boost their economies via trade.
