Tillerson will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his counterpart Sushma SWaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during his three-day visit.
The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will start his three-day visit to India on October 24 as both the nations are looking forward to strengthening mutual cooperation.
Tillerson’s visit assumes greater importance in the wake of the South Asia strategy of President Donald Trump unveiled in August. During his visit, he is expected to reassure the administration’s decision to strengthen the cooperation with India as part of its South Asia strategy.
The US wants to stabilize Afghanistan and enhance its presence in Indo-Pacific region to counter the growing influence of China. During his speech at Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Oct 19, Tillerson had clearly stated that the US wants to deepen the cooperation with India to counter growing Chinese influence in Asia.
“The United States seeks constructive relations with China, but we will not shrink from China’s challenges to the rules-based order and where China subverts the sovereignty of neighboring countries and disadvantages the US and our friends,” Tillerson said while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Calling China “a non-democratic society,” he added that the US would never have the same relationship with the country. He had also stated that the US would consider ways to tackle Chinese infrastructure financing in Asia.
Terming India as a “partner in strategic relationship,” Tillerson said, “India and the United States should be in the business of equipping other countries to defend their sovereignty, build greater connectivity, and have a louder voice in a regional architecture that promotes their interests and develops their economies.”
Though India has rejected the possibility of sending troops to Afghanistan, it has made clear that it will work with the US to strengthen the Afghan government and improve the socio-economic condition of Afghan people by assisting the construction of better infrastructure as done in the past.
In the backdrop of the South Asia strategy, speculations are high that the visit of Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani on October 24, on the very day Tillerson reaches India, is not mere coincidence.
Tillerson will visit Pakistan ahead of his visit to India and will meet with senior Pakistani leaders to discuss continued strong bilateral cooperation between the two nations, Pakistan’s critical role in the success of South Asia strategy, and the expanding economic ties between two countries.
He is expected to give a strong message to Pakistan in order to persuade it to take rigid measures against safe terrorist havens in their land. He had hinted last week that the administration would put pressure on Pakistan to take strict measures to uproot terrorism. “We expect Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorist groups based there that threaten its own people and the broader region,” he said at CSIS. “It is the obligation, not a choice, of every civilized nation to combat the scourge of terrorism. The United States and India are leading that regional effort together.”
The statement by a State Department official last week also underlines the fact that the US-Pakistan relationship will see some strategic shifts. “We are breaking from the status quo on US-Pakistan relations and the Secretary by going to Pakistan will be implementing the president’s strategy,” the official told reporters.
“America’s relationship with India does not come at the expense of Pakistan or vice versa. The things that the US can do to help alleviate some of the tensions on Pakistan’s borders around Afghanistan and in India,” the official added.
Tillerson will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his counterpart Sushma SWaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during his three-day visit.
Meanwhile, a 9-member Congressional delegation led by Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Congressman Lamar Smith visited India from 15-18 October. The delegation met with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan and National Cyber Security Coordinator Gulshan Rai.
The delegation also visited Bengaluru where they held discussions with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar. The visit focused on the strengthening of India-US cooperation in the areas of science, technology, space, and cyber-security.