India very influential, powerful force in Asia Pacific: Ashton Carter
The United States has a "whole global agenda" with India covering all issues while the relationship with Pakistan has to do with issues of terrorism and Afghanistan, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said on the eve of his three-day India visit.
- Apr 9, 2016,
- Updated Apr 9, 2016 3:04 PM IST
The United States has a "whole global agenda" with India covering all issues while the relationship with Pakistan has to do with issues of terrorism and Afghanistan, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said on the eve of his three-day India visit.
Carter also reiterated that from the perspective of the US there is no India-Pak hyphenation.
"The days are gone when we only deal with India as the other side of the Pakistan coin, or Pakistan as the other side of the India coin. I know that there are those in India and Pakistan who are still glued to that way of thinking. But the US put that behind us some time ago," Carter said yesterday in response to a question on impact of India-US relationship on Pakistan at the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR), a top American think-tank.
"With respect to Pakistan, that also is an important security partner. A whole lot of issues of which counter-terrorism looms largest. And we work with the Pakistanis all the time on that," he said.
"We are long past the point in US policy-making where we look at the India-Pakistan dyad as the whole story for either one of them. We have much more to do with India today than has to do with Pakistan," Carter said.
"There is important business with respect to Pakistan, but we have much more, a whole global agenda with India, agenda that covers all kinds of issues," he said.
"With respect to Pakistan totally different. We have a big set of issues having to do with the border with Afghanistan where we continue to operate, with terrorism, both on the territory of Pakistan and also obviously cross-border into Afghanistan, including affecting US service members there," he said.
Carter acknowledged that he would be asked about Pakistan during his India visit.
"I'm sure I'll be asked about it in India, but I think the first thing one needs to say from an American policy point of view, these are both respected partners and friends. They find themselves in very different situations," said the US Defence Secretary.
During his India visit beginning tomorrow at the invitation of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Carter will be in Goa and Delhi.
Carter said that enhanced co-operation in the maritime security would be another key feature of his India trip.
At the invitation of his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar, Carter would be spending nearly two days in Parrikar's home town Goa.
"I would be visiting western naval base," he said, adding that last year he had visited the eastern naval base.
When Parrikar was in the US in December last year, Carter took him to a nuclear-powered air craft career and the two leaders spend nearly one day.
His Goa trip is also expected to be marked by the India visit of USS Blue Ridge.
"The fact that there is a US navy vessel in port at the exact time, nothing could signify better close co-operation between us," Carter said.
After spending two days in Goa on April 10 and April 11, Carter would fly to New Delhi where among others he would meet Prime Minister Modi and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Without going into details, he said the two countries would also be concluding several important agreements, including one on commercial shipping information exchange, which will "make many new things possible" in the future.
"US India relationship has grown incredibly over the past several years. And of course, Secretary Carter takes a strong personal interest in US-India defence relationship," a senior defense official said, adding that Carter has a close personal relationship with Parrikar.
"That s why he is going to the Minister's home town of Goa," he added.
The US is very interested in exploring the possibilities of co-production of fighter aircrafts and the issue is being discussed with India, the senior defence official said when asked about news reports of talks on manufacturing of fighter jets in India.
India, the official said, has also expressed interest in buying armed drones from the US.
Under Modi Government, the defence official on condition of anonymity said there has been strong progress in bilateral relationship.
The scope and depth of US-India defence ties has become much stronger, he said in response to a question.
The United States has a "whole global agenda" with India covering all issues while the relationship with Pakistan has to do with issues of terrorism and Afghanistan, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said on the eve of his three-day India visit.
Carter also reiterated that from the perspective of the US there is no India-Pak hyphenation.
"The days are gone when we only deal with India as the other side of the Pakistan coin, or Pakistan as the other side of the India coin. I know that there are those in India and Pakistan who are still glued to that way of thinking. But the US put that behind us some time ago," Carter said yesterday in response to a question on impact of India-US relationship on Pakistan at the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR), a top American think-tank.
"With respect to Pakistan, that also is an important security partner. A whole lot of issues of which counter-terrorism looms largest. And we work with the Pakistanis all the time on that," he said.
"We are long past the point in US policy-making where we look at the India-Pakistan dyad as the whole story for either one of them. We have much more to do with India today than has to do with Pakistan," Carter said.
"There is important business with respect to Pakistan, but we have much more, a whole global agenda with India, agenda that covers all kinds of issues," he said.
"With respect to Pakistan totally different. We have a big set of issues having to do with the border with Afghanistan where we continue to operate, with terrorism, both on the territory of Pakistan and also obviously cross-border into Afghanistan, including affecting US service members there," he said.
Carter acknowledged that he would be asked about Pakistan during his India visit.
"I'm sure I'll be asked about it in India, but I think the first thing one needs to say from an American policy point of view, these are both respected partners and friends. They find themselves in very different situations," said the US Defence Secretary.
During his India visit beginning tomorrow at the invitation of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Carter will be in Goa and Delhi.
Carter said that enhanced co-operation in the maritime security would be another key feature of his India trip.
At the invitation of his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar, Carter would be spending nearly two days in Parrikar's home town Goa.
"I would be visiting western naval base," he said, adding that last year he had visited the eastern naval base.
When Parrikar was in the US in December last year, Carter took him to a nuclear-powered air craft career and the two leaders spend nearly one day.
His Goa trip is also expected to be marked by the India visit of USS Blue Ridge.
"The fact that there is a US navy vessel in port at the exact time, nothing could signify better close co-operation between us," Carter said.
After spending two days in Goa on April 10 and April 11, Carter would fly to New Delhi where among others he would meet Prime Minister Modi and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Without going into details, he said the two countries would also be concluding several important agreements, including one on commercial shipping information exchange, which will "make many new things possible" in the future.
"US India relationship has grown incredibly over the past several years. And of course, Secretary Carter takes a strong personal interest in US-India defence relationship," a senior defense official said, adding that Carter has a close personal relationship with Parrikar.
"That s why he is going to the Minister's home town of Goa," he added.
The US is very interested in exploring the possibilities of co-production of fighter aircrafts and the issue is being discussed with India, the senior defence official said when asked about news reports of talks on manufacturing of fighter jets in India.
India, the official said, has also expressed interest in buying armed drones from the US.
Under Modi Government, the defence official on condition of anonymity said there has been strong progress in bilateral relationship.
The scope and depth of US-India defence ties has become much stronger, he said in response to a question.