NEW DELHI, June 16: The status of India as a ‘major defence partner’ of the US will not be impacted by a negative vote in the US Senate on a key amendment, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified today.
The clarification comes a day after the Senate failed to recognise India as a “global strategic and defence partner” as key amendment for modifying its export control regulations could not be passed.
“This does not impact in any way our ‘major defence partner’ status that was conveyed by the US administration, as it was and an executive action,” the Government sources said.
The position was also articulated in the Indo-US joint statement, which was issued after bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama on June 7, the sources pointed out.
Noting that the US-India defence relationship can be an anchor of stability, and given the increasingly strengthened cooperation in defence, the US had announced that it recognises India as a ‘major defence partner’.
“The US will continue to work towards facilitating technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners,” the joint statement has said.
“The leaders reached an understanding under which India would receive license-free access to a wide range of dual-use technologies in conjunction with steps that India has committed to take to advance its export control objectives,” it said. (UNI)
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