Maintain momentum in US-India ties, Senators tell Obama

'We are confident that the US manufacturing industry will be able to take advantage of the US-India Investment Initiative to effectively support our goals of assisting in the development of three Indian cities -- Ajmer, Vishakhapatnam and Allahabad -- where the United States will be the lead partner,' Senators Warner and Cornyn told Obama.

Aziz Haniffa/Redfiff.com reports from Washington, DC.

On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second visit to the United States in two years -- this time to attend the United Nations General Assembly session in New York and visit California followed by a third summit with US President Barack Obama in New York on September 28 -- two influential US Senators have written to Obama urging him to maintain the momentum of the relationship, now that the commercial component has been added on to the US-India Strategic Dialogue.

'We have watched closely over the past years the reinvigoration of the US-India Strategic Partnership,' Senators Mark Warner, Virginia Democrat, and John Cornyn, Texas Republican, the co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, in their missive to Obama said, and noted that this new momentum and the attainment of new milestones was a consequence of Modi's election as prime minister last year.

Senators Warner and Cornyn expressed optimism that Obama's meeting with Modi in his suite at the New York Palace Hotel, marking their third summit in two years, reinforced by the convening of the first ever US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, 'will only continue this progress into the next year and beyond.'

It was due to the strategic engagement between Washington, DC and New Delhi that 'of late resulted in the renewal of the 10-year Defence Framework Agreement and the adoption of the Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region,' Senators Warner and Cornyn argued.

'Capping this off,' the senators added, 'was the Delhi Declaration of Friendship, which elevated the Strategic Dialogue to the Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.'

'This move,' Senators Warner and Cornyn predicted, 'will help bring our commercial and strategic objectives into closer alignment.'

Pointing out that the US has long recognised the benefits of trade with Asian economies, the lawmakers said even though the US-India bilateral trade exceeds $120 billion, there was much greater potential for further growth.

'We believe through the Commercial Dialogue, we will better position ourselves to reach our nations' shared goal of $500 billion in bilateral trade,' they wrote in their letter to Obama.

'We are also confident that the US manufacturing industry will be able to take advantage of the US-India Investment Initiative to effectively support our goals of assisting in the development of three Indian cities -- Ajmer, Vishakhapatnam and Allahabad -- where the United States will be the lead partner,' the Senators said, and added, 'Numerous opportunities exist in a number of other fields of economic endeavor -- from energy to infrastructure.'

Sentors Warner and Cornyn also noted the opportunities for cooperation on US-India defence issues, considering 'India's emergence as a democratic power that shares our values and strategic vision for Asia and the Pacific.'

'The renewal of the 10-year Defence Framework will help guide both nations to reach that vision,' the senators reiterated, and pointed to the recent Pentagon report released on August 21 on the Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy that spoke of the 'strategic convergence' between the 'policies and goals of both countries.'

It was through these increased maritime security relationships, increased personal exchanges, and engagement in military exercises,Senators Warner and Cornyn said that has 'envisaged the increase in the US and India's ability to operate collaboratively.'

'We see great promise in continuing to advance this cooperation under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative, which allows for enhancing maritime technology cooperation, including exploring aircraft carrier technology sharing and design,' the senators added.

While acknowledging the successes on both the US and Indian sides thanks to this Strategic Dialogue, Senators Warner and Cornyn argued that 'there are numerous areas where we hope more progress will be made, including a finalisation of the US-India Bilateral Investment Treaty and deeper collaboration on stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan.'

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes US President Barack Obama at the Palam air force base in New Delhi, January 25, 2015. Photograph: Press Information Bureau.