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US, India sign defense pact
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-29 08:49
The defense ministers of the United States and India signed a 10-year
agreement paving the way for stepped up military ties, including joint weapons
production and cooperation on missile defense, officials said.
It called for "an enhanced level of cooperation covering military to military
relations as well as a defense industrial and technological relationship," a
statement said following the signing by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and
his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee in Washington.
They agreed to set up a "defense procurement and production group" and sign
deals to cooperate on military "research, development, testing and evaluation"
as well as naval pilot training.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (R)
walks with Indian Minister of Defense Pranab Mukherjee past an honor guard
prior their meeting at the Pentagon in Washington, June 28,
2005.[Reuters] | "Both sides agreed that US-India defense relations are an important pillar of
their transforming bilateral relationship," the statement said.
The military pact came three months after the United States unveiled plans to
help India become a "major world power in the 21st century."
Washington's move to boost relations between the world's oldest and largest
democracies which were on the opposite sides in the Cold War was seen by
analysts as part of a strategy to counter the growing influence of China,
India's immediate neighbour.
Under the plans, Washington offered to step up a strategic dialogue with
India to boost missile defense and other security initiatives as well as
high-tech cooperation and expanded economic and energy
cooperation.
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