Logistics agreement did not allow the basing of US troops in India.
India and the United States on Monday signed an agreement to use each other’s land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply, taking a step toward building defence ties as they seek to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China.
Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar and US defence Secretary Ashton Carter signed the bilateral ‘Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement’ (LEMOA) at the Pentagon and said that the pact will facilitate opportunities for “practical engagement and exchange”.
LEMOA facilitates the provision of logistical support, supplies and services between Indian militaries and the US on a reimbursable basis, and provides a framework to govern them.
“The US has agreed to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with its closest allies and partners,” said a joint statement after the pact was signed.
The agreement is seen as a milestone in the India-US defence relationship because of the outsized political importance it had taken on India, where concerns were raised over whether the country’s autonomy would be undermined. Both the leaders made it clear that the logistics agreement did not allow the basing of US troops in India.
According to the statement, the defence ties between the two countries is based on their “shared values and interests,” and their “abiding commitment to global peace and security.”
Without naming China, both leaders mentioned the importance of the free flow of trade to both countries.
The signing of the agreement will ‘make the logistics of joint operations so much easier and so much more efficient,” said Mr Carter.
“India and the United States have a shared interest in freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce as part of rule-based order in (the) Indo-Pacific,” Mr Parrikar said.
The US has agreed to elevate defence trade the technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with its closest allies and partners.
Mr Parrikar’s visit to Washington this week marks his sixth interaction with Mr Carter, who has made closer military ties with India a priority and also established a special unit within the Pentagon last year for this. Mr Parrikar was welcomed with an enhanced honor corden by Mr Carter as he arrived at the Pentagon on Monday, which is reserved for valued guests.
During his stay in the US, Mr Parrikar will visit Boeing’s manufacturing facility at Philadelphia and would also interact with American defence industry representatives at an event organised by the US-India Business Council.