The US reaffirms its support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member.
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AB Wire
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Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and US Secretary of State John Kerry co-chaired the first India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue on Global Issues in Washington DC on 22 September 2015.
During the dialogue, the two sides recognized that the India-US partnership was a significant contributor to the peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions and around the globe.
Building on successful cooperation in Asia, the Sides welcomed continued cooperation under the Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region agreed by President Obama and Prime Minister Modi.
The US Side commended India’s leadership in evacuating foreign nationals including US citizens, from conflict in Yemen, as well as cooperation between the United States and India on providing earthquake relief in Nepal. The Sides resolved that India and the United States would work as partners in responding to the needs of civilians in global crises.
Recognizing the centrality of peacekeeping to the UN’s efforts for maintenance of international peace and security, the Sides committed to enhance cooperation in peacekeeping capacity building in third countries with a focus on training aspects for UN peacekeepers, especially in identified African countries.
The sides announced that the first ministerial meeting of the India-United States-Japan trilateral would convene on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2015. They also welcomed Japan’s participation in the MALABAR 2015 naval exercise later this year.
The US Side affirms its support for India’s membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime at its upcoming plenary, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and in the other global nonproliferation export control regimes.
The two sides also pledged to continue high level consultations on Afghanistan, making clear the enduring commitment of India and United States to the Afghan people. The Sides agreed that a sovereign, independent and prosperous Afghanistan is in the interest of peace and security in the region, and will contribute to the global efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.
Reflecting shared objectives in advancing nuclear nonproliferation, the two sides expressed support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached among the P5+1, the European Union, and Iran. They called for Iran’s timely and thorough implementation of the JCPOA.
In order to strengthen institutional cooperation between ministries, the Sides announced a new Diplomacy Partnership between the Department of State and the Ministry of External Affairs which will include a new Policy Planning Dialogue and coordination on the training of their diplomats through collaboration between respective Foreign Service Institutes.
The Sides agreed to launch new High Level Consultations led by the US Deputy Secretary of State and India’s Foreign Secretary.
The US Side reaffirmed its support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member. Both sides committed to ensuring that the Security Council continues to play an effective role in maintaining international peace and security as envisioned in the UN Charter. Both sides are committed to continued engagement on Security Council reform in the UN Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council Reform.
Committed to strengthening their bilateral cooperation, the Sides pledged to work together to promote the responsible management and rules-based resolution of conflicts in shared maritime and space domains, and cyberspace.
The Sides reflected on their shared commitment to peaceful use of the oceans, freedom of navigation, and protection of the ocean ecosystem. They agreed to explore a new Oceans Dialogue to promote sustainable development of the blue economy.
Assessing their outer space cooperation, the Sides noted the launch of a new Space Security Dialogue in March 2015, the exchange of technical data from both countries’ national Mars orbiters, and upcoming Civil Space Joint Working Group in Bangalore. The US side applauded India’s proposal to launch a satellite for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in order to expand information sharing and connectivity within the SAARC region. In this spirit, the Sides renewed the US-India Technology Safeguards Agreement to facilitate the launch of US satellite components on Indian space launch vehicles.
On cyber issues, the Sides supported an open, inclusive, transparent, and multi-stakeholder system of internet governance and planned to work together to promote cyber security, combat cyber crime, and advance norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace. They agreed to improve cooperation among technical, law enforcement, cyber R&D, and capacity building. The Sides commended the resumption of the US-India Cyber Dialogue. The Sides welcomed the decision to convene a Track 1.5 program to further cooperation on internet and cyber issues and contribute to the goals of Digital India initiative.