Washington:

A top US official said on Monday that progress in the bilateral relationship with India has finally achieved “escape velocity”, using a term from space exploration to describe the velocity required by a body to soar without the pull of gravity.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell was speaking on a sustainable and enduring US policy in the Indo-Pacific region at an event at the Council on Foreign Relations, a leading think tank.

He was recently in India along with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan for a much-anticipated visit that also turned out to be the first trip by senior US officials to New Delhi in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term.

Campbell also made a strong pitch for according to a higher preference to increasing the intake of Indian students in STEM fields in US universities, than to students from China, who are not trusted in high-technology fields.

“The United States and India have launched an effort to intensify defence industrial cooperation on jet engines and armoured vehicles,” Campbell said about ties with India in the context of America’s sustained engagement with the Indo-Pacific region.

“After working in India for decades, I can tell you that it is my view that finally, the use-end rate relationship has reached escape velocity. I think we have a partnership that can be sustained and there is ambition in both Delhi and Washington to take important next steps. We’ve worked together on a variety of other issues between the United States and India including announcing new initiatives where we will work together for the first time in the Indian Ocean.”

Campbell was previously the White House czar for President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific policy, which has seen this administration elevate the Quad platform with India, Australia, and Japan to the level leaders, the launch of the Australia, UK and US partnership called AUKUS and deepening bilateral, trilateral and multilateral ties with Indo-Pacific countries with the shared goal of managing China’s aggressive rise.

The jet engine cooperation that Campbell mentioned is the joint production of GE’s F414 jet engine with HAL that was announced during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit in June last year.

India and the US are also in talks to co-produce Stryker armoured infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs or infantry combat vehicles). India is looking to this vehicle as a replacement for its fleet of ageing Russian-made ICVs.

India and the United States cooperate on a wide suite of issues and people-to-people is one of the most important of them. Indian students in US universities are a key part of it. Indians account for the second largest cohort of foreign students and their numbers are growing rapidly.

Campbell’s strong pitch for a larger intake of Indian students came in response to a question on what needs to be done to shore up declining numbers of Chinese students. “Right now the largest increase that we need to see going forward would be much larger numbers of Indian students that come to study in American universities on a range of technology and other fields more directly,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in Apulia, Italy, Friday, June 14, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni have reviewed the progress of the bilateral strategic partnership and agreed to strengthen cooperation in global fora and multilateral initiatives, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

The two leaders met on June 14 towards the end of Prime Minister Modi’s day-long visit to Apulia, southern Italy, during which he thanked the Italian Prime Minister for the invitation to attend the G7 Summit.

A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) readout of the meeting said the leaders committed to fulfil their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific and also discussed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

“Both leaders look forward to joint activities to be implemented under the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative framework to fulfil their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the Ministry of External Affairs said, amidst China’s aggressive actions in the region.

They also discussed important regional and global issues and agreed to strengthen cooperation in global fora and multilateral initiatives, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, it said.

Billed as a path-breaking initiative, the IMEC envisages a vast road, railroad and shipping network among Saudi Arabia, India, the United States and Europe to ensure integration among Asia, the Middle East and the West.

The IMEC is also seen as an initiative by like-minded nations to gain strategic influence in the face of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which has faced increasing criticism over lack of transparency and disregard for sovereignty of the nations.

The BRI is a mega connectivity project that connects China with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia and Europe.

The IMEC initiative was firmed up on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi last year.

“The two leaders noted with satisfaction the regular higher political dialogue and reviewed the progress of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership. While expressing happiness at growing trade and economic collaboration, they called for expanding commercial ties in clean energy, manufacturing, Space, S&T (science and tech), telecom, AI and critical minerals to build resilient supply chains. In this context, they welcomed the recent signing of a MoU on Industrial Property Rights (IPR) which provides a framework for cooperation on patents, designs and trademarks,” it said.

The MEA said the two sides discussed bilateral defence and security cooperation and hoped to further enhance the defence-industrial collaboration. The leaders welcomed the forthcoming visit of the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and training ship ITS Vespucci to India later this year.

Prime Minister Modi is said to have thanked the Italian government for recognising the Indian Army’s contribution to the Italian campaign during World War II and informed that India will be upgrading the Yashwant Ghadge Memorial at Montone in Italy.

The MEA statement added: “Taking note of the coordination under the ‘Global Biofuels Alliance’, the leaders welcomed the signing of the Letter of Intent for Cooperation in Energy Transition which will boost bilateral cooperation in clean and green energy. They expressed happiness at the new Executive Programme of Cooperation for 2025-27 to promote joint research and development in Science & Technology.”

“The two countries enjoy strong people-to-people connect propelled by longstanding Indological studies tradition in Italy, which will be further strengthened with the establishment of the first ICCR chair on India studies at the University of Milan. The two Leaders called for an early implementation of the Migration and Mobility Agreement, which would facilitate mobility of professionals, skilled and semi-skilled workers, students, and researchers.”

Earlier on June 14, Ms. Meloni welcomed the Prime Minister along with leaders of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, India, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritania, Tunisia, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to address the Outreach session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean, along with Pope Francis.

The G7 Summit, to be formally concluded on June 15, was hosted under the presidency of Italy and attended by the Group of Seven Industrialised nations – the U.S., U.K., Japan, Canada, Germany and France, and the European Union.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with South Korea National Security Advisor Chang Ho-jin. Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on March 5 met South Korea’s national security advisor Chang Ho-jin and held useful discussions with him on the shared convergences in the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary regional and global issues.

Mr. Jaishankar is in Seoul on the first leg of his four-day visit to South Korea and Japan.

He will co-chair the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul during the visit.   “Good start to my South Korea visit. Meeting with the Director of National Security Chang Ho-jin in Seoul today. A useful discussion on our shared convergences in the Indo-Pacific and contemporary regional & global issues,” Mr. Jaishankar posted on X.

He also met Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Dukgeun.

“Wide-ranging conversation on our trade and economic cooperation, both current and future, which is at the heart of India-South Korea relationship,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

He also held an interesting conversation with think tank representatives of South Korea.

“Our exchanges and interaction would only increase as the convergences between our two countries grow,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

During the visit, he is also expected to meet with Korean dignitaries and the Indian community.

The Special Strategic Partnership between India and South Korea has expanded to diverse areas of cooperation, which include trade, investments, defence, education, science and technology and culture.

The JCM is expected to comprehensively review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and explore avenues for further strengthening it. It will also provide an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi ahead of Jaishankar’s visit.