Challenges for Indo-US ties and extent to which the joint statement 2015 meets them

Challenges for Indo-US ties and extent to which the joint statement 2015 meets them

Q. Identify the challenges for the Indo-US relations and the extent to which the joint statement recently issued by the US President and India’s PM has met these?

A. Challenges to Indo-US Relations

1. Harnessing personal rapport and state goodwill

2. Stronger to meet concerns of the common people, Job creation, Spur growth and development

3. Channelize Core Areas

• Generate employment through the Make in India scheme
• Tap areas of: Defence, Energy, Technology
• Create opportunities in : Communications, Power, Engineering and IT sectors

4. Defence Cooperation

• Utilisation of the Defence Framework and Defence Trade and Technology Initiative
• Co-development and joint production of defence equipment and platforms
• Only 4 of 17 total items were on offer; supplementary list of 13 more
• Modest proposals only in place

5. Modernisation of the Military

• Proactive cooperation with the US
• Greater deterrence capacity
• Bigger defence presence in the region
• More updated weapons systems

6. Questions Regarding the Regulatory Environment in India

• IPR (intellectual property rights) protection standards
• Local content provisions
• Lack of bilateral investment treaty
• Mandatory licensing for pharmaceutical companies
• Indian exclusion from negotiations in Trans-Pacific partnerships
• Agriculture subsidy
• WTO agreement on trade facilitation

7. Concerns about Protectionism

• “Buy America” legal provisions a concern

8. Immigration Law Concerns

• US refusal to negotiate Totalisation Agreement
• Indian H-1B workers contract USD 3 billion on an annual basis to US Social Security Trust Fund towards pensions which will never be received

9. Climate Change

• The implications of the Sino-US climate deal
• Cap on India’s emissions premature
• Focus instead on:
- Energy efficiency
- Use of non conventional sources of energy

10. Bilateral Agenda - More so in Civilian Nuclear Agreement deal

11. Strategic Relationship

• Boosting the India-US strategic dialogue
• Indo-Pak dispute issues like:
• Stability of relationships
• Continuance of peaceful dialogue
• Strategic Stability
• Stability in Afghanistan as well
• Fuller India-US dialogue on West and Central Asian security

12. Commitment
• Concern at the highest level
• Sensitivity for others values
• Increase in convergent interests

B. Extent to Which Modi-Obama Joint Statement Meets The Challenges

About the Joint Statement

• PM Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama issued 3 separate documents:
• Declaration of Friendship with Commitment to Regular Summits
• Joint Statement
• Joint Strategic Vision for Asia Pacific Region

Joint Statement - Entitled “Shared Effort, Progress for All”

I. Overview

a. Joint Statement Promotes Cooperation

• Bilateral strategic and global partnership between 2 countries assessed
• Cooperation enhanced across spectrum of sectors and activities

b. Elevation of Bilateral Relationship

• Endorsement of new India-US Delhi Declaration of Friendship
• Declaration builds on Vision Statement of 30th September
• Promotion of better relations to:
- Advance mutual prosperity
- Regional peace
- Security and stability

c. Joint Strategic Vision

• Asia specific vision to guide engagement here
• India’s Act East Policy and US rebalancing find convergence

II. Economic Issues

a. Continued Bilateral Cooperation to Create:

• Investment opportunities
• Improvement of bilateral trade and investment ties
• Job creation and prosperity in economies

b. Strengthening of Broad Based Partnership

• Partnership to cooperate in:
- Stronger trade, manufacturing, technology and investment linkages
- Triangular cooperation with partner countries
- Continued stress on making linkages durable

c. Addressing Doha Concerns

• Maintenance of labor standards as per domestic law
• Cooperation on the finalisation of the Post Bali Work Programme as per Doha mandate

d. Shared Commitment

• Facilitation of increased bilateral investment flows
• Open and welcoming low risk climate for investment
• Initiation of high standard bilateral investment treaty dialogue

e. Further Dialogue

• Fifth annual US India Economic and Financial Partnership Dialogue to commence in February
• Dialogue to deepen cooperation on:
- Macroeconomic policy
- Regulation and development of financial sector
- Investment in infrastructure
- Tax Policy
- Fighting money laundering and terrorist financing
• Agreement to hold discussion on India-US Totalisation Agreement

f. Financial Inclusion

• Jan Dhan scheme commended by President Obama
• India’s intent to join Better Than Cash Alliance emphasised

g. Collaboration in Skill Development

Issues to be explored to include:

• Establishment of quality assurance systems for skilling certification standards
• Establishment of skill development centres
• Nurturing and promotion of social entrepreneurship
• Strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem

h. Digitisation

• Collaboration in implementation of Digital India Programme
• Expansion of commercial cooperation
• Encouraging investment engagement in ICT sector

i. Initiation of Indo-US Commercial Dialogue

• Public-private discussions to be held in early 2015
• Dialogue to be held for two years till March 2015 on agreed to areas of cooperation

j. Enhancing IPR Engagement

• Improving engagement on Intellectual Property Rights in 2015
• Establishment of High Level Working Group on Intellectual Property

k. Technical Cooperation in Railways Sector

• Augmentation and optimisation of India rail infrastructure through technological cooperation
• Facilitation of US Trade and Development Agency to cooperate with Indian Railways for modifying leasing and PPP frameworks to attract finances and funds.

l. Benefits for the Aviation Sector

• Robust public private Indo-US civil aviation partnership
• Larger commercial engagement
• Identification of emerging technologies
• Key events: 2015 UUS India Aviation Summit
• Demos of advanced US technologies
• Continuation of consultation between FAA/ Federal Aviation Administration and DGCA/ Directorate General of Civil Aviation to ensure safety standards established by ICAO/International Civil Aviation Organisation
• Restoration of Category I status soon

m. Coverage of Education Sector

• Ongoing cooperation in higher education to continue
• Extension of knowledge partnership for supporting IIT (Gandhinagar) via USIAID
• Collaboration through GIAN or Global Initiative of Academic Networks to:
- Facilitate short term teaching, Research through visiting US academics to Indian varsities

n. International Financial Institutions to be Strengthened

• This includes IMF
• President Obama affirmed commitment to enhancement of India’s voice and vote in international financial institutions
• Creative use of resources through multilateral development banks for infrastructure financing

III. High Technology, Space and Health Cooperation

a. Overview

• Reaffirmation of Partnership

• Indo-US commitment to partnerships in:
- Science, Technology, Innovation

• Reaffirmation of these partnerships to :
- Meet challenges such as water, energy, food, climate and health
- Development of innovative solutions that are: Affordable, Accessible, Adaptable, Meet Needs of People, Benefit Global Community

• Cooperative efforts such as studying the impact of water, air pollution and sanitation
• Indo-US collaboration in hydrology and water studies; monsoon modelling

• Work towards launching Indo-US Climate Fellowship to initiate human capacity building
- Ongoing efforts to strengthen women’s participation in pure sciences, technology, engineering and math through Networking & Mentoring programmes

b. Timely Resolution of Challenges

• Efforts of Bilateral High Technology Cooperation Group to seek resolution of challenges to trade in High Technology goods
• US licensing requirements for trade in certain dual use items to be reviewed
• Fostering innovation and a predictable, transparent policy environment
• Sharing information on policy matters in intellectual property protection

c. Space Cooperation

• Further commercial relations between India and the US
• Ongoing interaction between space agencies for realising dual frequency radar imaging satellite
• Exploring possibilities for studying Mars
• ISRO NASA Mars Working Group Meeting scheduled for 29-31 January 2015
• Opportunities for cooperation in observations and analysis between ISRO Mars Orbiter Mission and NASA’s MAVEN
• Continued progress through US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group
• Department of Atomic Energy, India and US Department of Energy to expand collaboration in basic physics research and accelerator research as well as development
• Reaffirmation of GHSA (Global health Security Agenda)
• Preparedness training, expansion of India Epidemic Intelligence Service
• Development of roadmap to achieve GHSA objectives within 3 years
• Multi-sectoral actions countering emergence, spread of AMR/Antimicrobial Resistance and Cooperation in training of health workers
• Focus on science and technology partnerships on countering problems
• Promotion of availability, efficacy and quality of therapeutics
• Bilateral cooperation on cancer research, prevention, control and management
• Strengthen engagement between CDC and India’s National Centre for Disease Control

d. MoU for Environmental and Occupational Health Prevention and Control

• Environmental Health, Occupational health and Injury Prevention and Control MoU
• Between US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Indian Council for Medical Research
• Collaborative efforts to improve health, welfare of countries’ citizens

e. India-US Health Initiative to Expand

• Expansion of India-US Health Initiative into Healthcare Dialogue
• Capacity building initiatives
• Affordable health care
• Cost saving mechanisms
• Distribution Barriers
• Patent Quality
• Health services IT
- Complementary and traditional medicine
- Strengthening collaboration, dialogue and cooperation between regulatory authorities
- Safety, quality and efficacy of pharmaceuticals including generic medication

f. Acceleration of Joint Leadership of Global Call to Action

• Ending preventable deaths among mothers and children
• Showcasing partnerships innovations and systems for life saving interventions
• Highly successful collaboration on locally produced vaccine against rotavirus
• Introduction of new phase of India-US Vaccine Action Programme

IV. Defence, Homeland Security Cooperation

a. Overview

• Expansion of Bilteral Defence Cooperation
• Inclusion of areas of mutual interest
• Reaffirmation of commitment to deepen bilateral defence relationship
• Bilateral military ties to pursue opportunities for engagement through:
- Exercises
- Military personnel exchanges
- Defence dialogues
• Two way defence engagement to include technology cooperation, collaboration, co-production and co-development

b. DTTI(Defence Technology and Trade Initiative)

• To develop new areas of technology cooperation in defence sector
• Co-development and co-production focus
• Establishment of dedicated rapid reaction team oriented towards advancing DTII
• Continued DTTI collaboration for yielding additional joint projects

c. Make in India for Defence

• Make in India initiative to be used for cooperating and establishing defence industrial base in India
• Joint collaboration in this context

d. Establishment of 2015 Framework for US-India Defence Relationship

• Navies of both sides to identify specific areas for expansion of maritime cooperation
• Commitment to upgrade bilateral naval exercise MALABAR
• Cooperation between law enforcement agencies pertaining to counter transnational crimes such as :
- Terrorism
- Narcotics
- Trafficking
- Financial and Economic Fraud
- Cybercrime
- Transnational Organised Crime
- Enhanced Cooperation in above fields

e. Detecting and Preventing Cybercrime

• Serious risks to national and economic security from malicious cyber activity to be contained by both sides
• Enhanced sharing of cyber threat information
• Seeing how international law applies in cyberspace
• Working out norms of responsible state behaviour

f. Countering Terrorism

• US India partnership oriented towards combating complete spectrum of terror threats
• Strong condemnation of terror in all forms
• Continued threat by ISIL and Al Qaida to be eliminated through joint collaboration
• Eliminating terrorist safe havens, infrastructure, disruption of terror networks and financing and end of cross border terrorist movement
• Joint collaboration to disrupt entities such as LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company and the Haqqani Network
• Ongoing efforts through Homeland Security Dialogue - Next Round of US India JWG on Counter Terrorism
• Information sharing on known and suspected terrorists
• Deepening collaboration on UN Terrorist designations and call for Pakistan to bring 26/11 attackers to justice
• Positive engagement between Indo-US authorities to counter IEDs
• To develop counter-terrorism best practices

g. Advance in Bilateral Civil Nuclear Cooperation

• Understandings reached for civilian nuclear cooperation
• Resolution of civil nuclear liability
• Administrative arrangements of civil nuclear cooperation
• US built nuclear reactors for initiating energy security in India

V. Climate Change

a. Climate Change Initiatives

• Joint expansion of clean energy research, development, manufacturing and deployment
• Use of renewable energy in electricity generation; goal to increase India’s solar target to 100 gigawatts by 2022
• Expanding Partnership to Advance CleanEnergy Research (PACE-R):
• Extension of financing for 3 existing research tracks of solar energy
• Building energy efficiency
• Biofuels for 5 more years
• Launch a fresh track on smart grid and grid storage

b. Advancing Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Deployment (PACE-D):

• Increased bilateral engagement
• Joint initiative stop meet targets in renewable energy

c. Expanding Clean Energy Financing

• Supporting private sector involvement in clean energy requirements

d. Launching Air Quality Cooperation

• Implementation of EPA’s Air Now International programme
• Helping urban people to understand how to reduce or pollution
• Help urban policy planners to implement corrective strategies for enhancing Ambient Air Quality to keep health and climate change benefits

e. Climate Resilience Tool Development

• Assess climate risks at sub national level
• Work to build in climate resilience
• Engage in capacity building, local decision making and information planning to combat climate change and build resilience
• Initiate climate resilient sustainable development for Indian State Action Plans

f. Development of Demonstrable Clean Energy and Climate Initiatives

Additional pilot programmes, collaborative projects in areas of:
• Space cooling
• Super efficient appliances
• Renewable energy storage
• Smart grids

g. Conclusion of Mou on Energy Security, Clean Energy and Climate Change

VI. Global, Regional Issues

a. Meeting Challenges

• Addressing development challenges in third countries through US India partnership in areas such as health, energy, food security, women’s empowerment and disaster management

b. Working to Enhance Connectivity With South, South East Asian Region

c. Economic and Transport Connectivity

d. Regional Peace and Security in Afghanistan

• Sustainable, inclusive, sovereign democratic political order
• High level consultations

e. India-US-Japan Trilateral Dialogue

• Cooperation in areas of common interest
• Explore holding the dialogue among Foreign Ministers

f. Nuclear Partnership

Efforts to:
• Lead global efforts for non proliferation of WMDs
• Reduce role of nuclear weapons in global affairs
• Universal, verifiable, non-discriminatory global nuclear disarmament
• Negotiations on fissile material cut off Treaty on basis of Shannon Mandate in Conference on Disarmament.
• Continued efforts to promote India’s phased entry into:
• NSG: Nuclear Suppliers Group
• MTCR: Missile Technology Control Regime
• Wassenaar Arrangement
• Australia Group
• Concerns over Iran and DPRK also discussed

g. Women Empowerment

• Reconvening Women Empowerment Dialogue
• Zero tolerance for violence against women

h. Global Issues

• Joint effort to resolve global crises in Iraq and Syria
• Reformed UNSC with India as Permanent Member
• Peace keeping capacity building
• Infrastructure Building

i. Countering Digital Divide

• India’s digital initiative Digital India accorded recognition
• Steps to overcome digital divide especially for poorest of poor
• Benefits of new technology to reach all people

Conclusion

The Joint Statement reflects a growing commitment to confront and meet the challenges facing current Indo-US ties and more. With steady effort and consistency, the two nations can achieve the perfect partnership which can best serve the needs of its citizens and the international community.