Five things PM Modi
wants out of his trip to the US, BY NIHARIKA MANDHANA
6 JUN
2016
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi arrives in Washington Monday for his second White House
meeting in as many years.
If his first, in September 2014, was aimed at
moving past the diplomatic and policy irritants that had overshadowed Indo-U.S.
ties, his second, which comes just months before President Barack Obama leaves
office, seeks to consolidate the gains the relationship has since
notched up.
Mr. Modi’s packed three-day itinerary offers clues
about what the Indian prime minister is looking for and points to the
priorities in the gradually-deepening ties between the world’s largest
democracies.
·
1Promote India
Among the
highlights of Mr. Modi’s visit is a speech he is set to deliver at a joint
meeting of the two houses of Congress. It is an honor that fulfills one of Mr.
Modi’s perennial goals on his frequent overseas trips: boosting India’s global
image. From high-profile addresses in jam-packed concert stadiums and sports
arenas to persuading the U.N. to declare an international yoga day, Mr. Modi
has sought to put a spotlight on his country. He will be the first world leader
to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives this
year and the fifth Indian prime minister to do so.
·
2Join the Nuclear Suppliers Group
India wants to be a
member of this 48-nation group that controls trade in nuclear fuel and
technology and it is looking for U.S. help to bring other members around. China
and some other nations don’t support India’s entry, saying New Delhi hasn’t
complied with an important precondition: signing the nuclear non-proliferation
treaty. Washington used its diplomatic weight to help India win exemptions from
NSG rules once before, in 2008, to enable a landmark civil nuclear deal between
the two countries. Mr. Modi is hoping the U.S., which has openly backed India’s
membership bid, will lobby for it again. “This is what friends do for each
other,” Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said at a news conference
Friday.
·
3Win Some Investment
On his visits to
the U.S., including one last year when he met with Silicon Valley’s biggest names,
Mr. Modi has sought investment to fuel India’s growth. He has touted a more
business-friendly environment in India since his election and his easing of
foreign-direct investment restrictions in sectors such as insurance, defense
and railways. Mr. Modi is scheduled to meet with and address U.S. business
leaders on this trip too. He will focus on drawing solid commitments to advance
his government’s flagship development programs designed to boost manufacturing,
build smart cities and expand digital infrastructure, Mr. Jaishankar said.
·
4Strengthen Defense Ties
Mr. Modi is also
set to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Mr. Carter has pushed India to
increase its purchases of U.S. military equipment and sign pacts to boost
cooperation between the countries’ armed forces, signaling closer strategic
relations. The two announced their “in principle” understanding on one such
pact—a logistics-support agreement to facilitate each country’s access to the
other’s bases for replenishment and repair—in April. That may be finalized on
Mr. Modi’s visit. Washington wants India to sign another pact for the transfer of
advanced communication equipment and a third to allow digital mapping.
Top-ranking U.S. officials have also urged greater security cooperation in the
Asia-Pacific, hinting at joint patrols. But this is an idea few in New Delhi
are considering seriously as India remains wary of being drawn into a U.S.-led
strategic alliance.
·
5Have Climate-Change Conversations
Mssrs. Obama and
Modi are expected to revisit a subject that has been thecenterpiece of their relationship over the past two
years: climate change. The U.S. is in discussions with Indian
officials about New Delhi’s timeline toformally join the Paris agreement, signed last
year to curb the impact of global warming. An Indian official with knowledge of
the matter said that while India stands behind the deal, it is still trying to
gauge the U.S.’s commitment to helping developing countries with financing and
clean-energy technology. Andrew Light, a distinguished senior fellow at the
Washington-based World Resources Institute wrote in a recent online article that
India and the U.S. should join the deal soon to “demonstrate that two countries
that have historically been at odds in the U.N. climate negotiations have
shifted that dynamic, and are committed to the success of the new agreement.”
No comments:
Post a Comment