News Analysis India

Tag: US India Ties

  • Boosting cooperation on COVID-19 vaccines to be focus of Jaishankar’s 5-day visit to US

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Procurement of coronavirus vaccines and raw materials to boost domestic production is set to be a major focus area of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s five-day visit to the United States beginning Monday.

    Announcing the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar will hold discussions with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and meet other senior officials of the Biden administration during his visit from May 24 to 28.

    It will be the first visit by a senior Indian minister to the US after President Joe Biden assumed office in January.

    It is learnt that Jaishankar is likely to press for further speeding up of the supply of raw materials from the US to boost vaccine production in India besides exploring the option of joint production.

    There is a view in India that the Defence Production Act (DPA) of the US has put some restrictions on the export of raw materials by American companies.

    In early February, the US government invoked the DPA to limit exports of the raw materials to expand domestic vaccine production.

    Hit by a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, India has been focusing on ramping up domestic production of COVID-19 vaccines as well their procurement from abroad.

    “In Washington DC, the External Affairs Minister will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

    He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship,” the MEA said in a statement.

    It said he will have two interactions with business forums on economic and COVID-related cooperation between the two countries.

    Jaishankar had met Blinken earlier this month on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers of G-7 countries in London.

    The MEA said Jaishankar will also meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York.

    Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday that India is engaged with American entities for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and their possible manufacturing in India subsequently.

    “We remain engaged with US entities on the prospect of procuring vaccines from the US and also perhaps manufacturing them in India subsequently,” Bagchi said.

    The US announced earlier this week that it will share an additional 20 million coronavirus vaccine doses with other countries in addition to the 60 million it has already committed.

    The Biden administration has not yet announced the possible recipients of the vaccine doses.

    Recently, Charge D’Affaires of the US embassy Daniel B Smith said the US was looking at joint production of Johnson and Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines in India and ways to help manufacturers like the Serum Institute of India (SII) to boost production.

    As India was facing a rapid increase in coronavirus infections, the US sent six plane loads of life-saving supplies in support of the country’s fight against the pandemic.

    Earlier this month, the US sent to India raw materials for vaccine production which it said would enable the manufacture of 20 million doses of the Covishield vaccines.

    Providing raw materials for the production of coronavirus vaccines was a major component of the Biden administration’s announcement on medical aid to India.

  • US defence secretary urged to raise rights violation and Russia deal on India trip

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Ahead of US Secretary of Defence Llyod Austin’s visit to India, Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Bob Menendez has urged him to raise the issues of human rights and democracy, and acquisition of S400 systems from Russia.

    “The Indian government’s ongoing crackdown on farmers peacefully protesting new farming laws and corresponding intimidation of journalists and government critics only underscores the deteriorating situation of democracy in India.

     Moreover, in recent years, rising anti-Muslim sentiment and related government actions like the Citizenship Amendment Act, the suppression of political dialogue and arrest of political opponents following the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, and the use of sedition laws to persecute political opponents have resulted in the US human rights group Freedom House stripping India of its ‘Free’ status in its yearly global survey,” Menendez wrote to the secretary of defence. 

    Austin is scheduled to visit India between March 19 and 21 where he will hold discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Menendez’s letter also urges Austin to take up the issue of India’s procurement of S400 Missile Systems from Russia, which could lead to US sanctions. “I recognise that India is not a US treaty ally and has historical ties with the Soviet and Russian militaries.

    However, if India chooses to go forward with its purchase of the S-400, that act will clearly constitute a significant, and therefore sanctionable, transaction with the Russian defense sector under Section 231 of CAATSA,” he said and added that it will limit India’s ability to work with the US on procurement of sensitive military technology.

  • Will elevate defence ties with India: US Secretary nominee Lloyd Austin

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  US Secretary of Defense nominee Lloyd Austin has said that the Joe Biden administration’s objective would be to  elevate defence ties with India.

    “If confirmed, my overarching objective for our defense relationship with India would be to continue elevating the partnership,” Austin said while addressing members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing. 

    Austin, a retired General, said that he would operationalise India’s status as a major defence partner and ensure that the militaries of the two countries can continue to cooperate on shared interests.

    “I would also seek to deepen and broaden the defence cooperation between India and the US through the Quad security dialogue and other regional multilateral engagements,” he said.

    On Pakistan, the secretary of defense nominee said that Islamabad has taken steps against anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed but the progress has been incomplete. He was also of the opinion that Pakistan has taken constructive steps to meet the US  expectations with regard to the Intra-Afghan peace process.“

    Many factors in addition to the security assistance suspension may impact Pakistan’s cooperation, including Afghanistan negotiations and the dangerous escalation following the Pulwama terrorist attack,” he said and added that he would press Pakistan to not let allow its soil to be used by terrorists and militants as a sanctuary.

    Meanwhile, in a way endorsing the India policy of the Trump administration Secretary of State nominee Tony Blinken told members of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing that “India has been a bipartisan success story of our successive administrations”.