New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs Tuesday for his first official state visit to the United States, he emphasised on the “unprecedented trust” between the leaders of the two countries in an interview with the American business daily The Wall Street Journal.
During his three-day visit from 21-23 June, the Prime Minister is expected to focus on deepening India-US ties in sectors such as defence cooperation, trade and technology, among others.
PM Modi, who in the interview called defence cooperation between the two countries “an important pillar of partnership”, is expected to sign multiple weapons manufacturing deals including a deal for production of engines for advanced light combat aircraft.
He is also expected to sign a multi-billion dollar agreement to enhance surveillance over India’s contested borders with China and across the Indian Ocean. A deal for the purchase of high-altitude armed Predator drones from the US is also expected to materialise.
These deals are, according to The Wall Street Journal, part of Washington’s efforts to reduce India’s dependence on Russia for military supplies such as arms, ammunition, tanks, fighter jets and S-400 air defence systems. The Indian government has abstained from voting on resolutions condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the UN Security Council — over which American lawmakers have expressed their ‘disappointment’.
Commenting on India’s stance in the war, PM Modi told The Wall Street Journal, “I think India’s position is well known and well understood in the entire world. The world has full confidence that India’s topmost priority is peace.”
He also noted that he has had several conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which he highlighted the need to resolve disputes between the two countries through “diplomacy and dialogue”, rather than war.
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India’s growing role in world order
Apart from focusing on the significance of his upcoming trip to Washington, PM Modi also emphasised the growing role of India in the dynamic global order.
“India deserves a much higher, deeper and wider profile and a role”, the Prime Minister opined, while calling for the restructuring of international organisations such as the United Nations to better represent an increasingly multipolar world order. He also nodded towards India’s goal to become a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
PM Modi observed, “Look at the membership of key institutions — does it truly represent the voice of democratic values? A place like Africa — does it have a voice? India has such a huge population and is a bright spot in the global economy, but is it present?”
He further added, “There has to be an evaluation of the current membership and the world should be asked if it wants India to be there.”
PM Modi’s statements are in line with the Biden administration’s goal to revamp UNSC membership to address concerns over the council’s inability to restrain global conflicts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to The Washington Post, the US envoy to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has been in talks with diplomats from the 193 UN member states about a possible expansion of the UNSC’s permanent membership to include approximately 12 more nations without granting them veto power. Previously, the US has also pushed for Germany, Japan and India to become permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Supply chains, China & celebrating diversity
Shifting the focus to economic ties between India and the US, PM Modi in the interview stressed the increasingly strong trade ties between the two countries in recent years, with the US becoming India’s largest trading partner last year with trade reaching a record $191 billion. Furthermore, the US is also the second largest source for foreign direct investment (FDI) into India amounting to $10.5 billion by 2022.
He also promoted India’s growing role as a manufacturing hub, with American companies like Apple making investments in Karnataka and Telangana to expand iPhone production in the country. “The world today is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. To create resilience, there should be more diversification in supply chains,” PM Modi said.
Growing tensions with China have been a common concern for both India and the US, with New Delhi and Beijing working together on proposals for disengagement in friction areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh following clashes in 2020.
The Prime Minister stated, “For normal bilateral ties with China, peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential. We have a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity.”
Looking inward, on accusations by human rights advocates against the Modi government of restricting religious freedom in the country, the Prime Minister opined that “people of every faith in the world are living in harmony in India”. He added that India celebrates its diversity.
Last month, the US State Department’s annual report on “international religious freedom” expressed concerns regarding India over “violence by law enforcement authorities against members of religious minorities”.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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