New structure for Indo-U.S. military ties by year-end

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI, JULY 19. The United States today welcomed the revival of the India-Pakistan dialogue and said a new architecture of military cooperation between Washington and New Delhi would be in place by the year-end.

In a brief interaction with a section of the media here, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Henry H. Shelton, said Washington welcomed the talks as well as the prospects of further interaction between India and Pakistan.

The first head of the U.S. defence forces to come here, Gen. Shelton is also the highest-ranking military official to visit India since the Shakti tests.

During the day, the General met the Defence Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, the National Security Adviser, Mr. Brajesh Mishra, the Defence Secretary, Mr. Yogendra Narain, and the three service chiefs.

The focus of the visit is on reviving the bilateral military relationship, stalled since the Pokhran tests. But today's discussions went beyond the specifics of resurrecting military ties, and covered developments in South Asia, West Asia, the Central Asian region and the evolving new international security framework defined by Ballistic Missile Defences (BMD).

Referring to international security issues, Gen. Shelton declared that Indo-U.S. ties were not China-centric. The U.S., while promoting its national interests was looking at building ``non -adversarial'' relations with the countries of the region.

The two sides also took up the controversial subject of BMD. India is looking at participating in an arrangement with the U.S. which can alert it about a missile launch from a neighbouring country.

India reiterated its interest in renewing an institutionalised link-up with the Diego Garcia-based U.S. Central Command, responsible for the Indian Ocean area, and the Hawaii-based U.S. Pacific Command. Both sides share a common concern for ensuring the safety of sea lanes radiating from the energy rich Gulf region and heading towards the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

New Delhi is looking for a submarine rescue facility from the U.S. Negotiations had preceded the Pokhran tests and India, in fact, had already paid $50,000 for the system.

The two countries are keen on expanding the interaction between their armed forces in their training institutions. Under the International Military Education and Training programme, the U.S. has increased spending from $200,000 to $450,000 for the purpose.

On the revival of defence ties, Gen. Shelton said the apex Indo- U.S. Defence Policy Group, which gave higher direction to the bilateral military ties, was expected to meet by December.

The DPG meeting, in turn, was likely to draw up a new mechanism to steer the future course of defence ties. This included the revival of Executive Steering Groups responsible for detailing a road map for interaction, including military exercises, among the three services.

Gen. Shelton invited his host, Admiral Sushil Kumar, to visit Washington. Admiral Kumar's trip, expected to take place in October, before Gen. Shelton's retirement, is likely to facilitate his interaction with Gen. Shelton's successor.

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