THE CONTEXT: In the second week of April 2022, the USA hosted the fourth India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The dialogue was preceded by a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joseph Biden. Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar participated in the dialogue from India. In this article, we will analyse the outcome of the dialogue.
WHAT IS 2+2 DIALOGUE?
- 2+2 Ministerial is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries.
- It is a format of dialogue where the defense/foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country.
- India has 2+2 dialogues with four key strategic partners: the US, Australia, Japan, and Russia.
KEY ISSUES DISCUSSED IN 2+2
- Ukraine-Russia war
- Global Partnership and Indo-Pacific Cooperation
- Mutual Prosperity, Innovation, and Resilient Supply Chains
- Climate, Environment, and Clean Energy
- Science, Technology, Cybersecurity, and Space
- Global Health
- Defense and Security
- Counterterrorism and Counter Narcotics
- Education and People-to-People Ties
OUTCOME OF THE DIALOGUE
ON UKRAINE:
- India’s refusal to criticize Russia or vote on UN resolutions criticizing Russia.
- India’s decision to increase its import of Russian oil.
- India’s refusal to join USA and EU sanctions and negotiate a payment mechanism to work around the sanctions through Rupee-Rouble payments.
INDO-PACIFIC, QUAD, AND CHINA:
- Like with Russia, the Joint Statement did not refer directly to China.
- As an associate partner, India would join the Bahrain-based multilateral partnership, Combined Maritime Force (CMF).
- The CMF is a multinational maritime partnership, which exists to uphold the Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability, and prosperity.
MILITARY COOPERATION:
- MoU on Space Situational Awareness Agreement, the two sides have launched a cyberspace dialogue this year.
- More bilateral and multilateral military exercises to enrich the defence partnership between the two countries.
- Cooperation on co-production, co-development, cooperative testing of advanced defence systems, investment promotion, and the development of Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in India.
- This is important as India has often linked its defence dependency on Russia to the transfer of technology and co-production opportunities.
- Explore possibilities of utilizing Indian shipyards to support mid-voyage repair of US Naval ships- this would be a new step forward.
BILATERAL PEOPLE TO PEOPLE TIES:
- Values and bonds are strengthened by about 200,000 Indian students in the US.
- They set up a Working Group on Education and Skill Training, which will bring academic institutions in the United States and India together to develop new joint research programs.
HUMAN RIGHTS:
- This perhaps was an area the meeting went off-script, as US Secretary of State Blinken said at the joint press conference that there were concerns about India’s record.
- Later, in a State Department 2021 Human Rights report that included a chapter on India listing a number of allegations against the government and police forces.
- However, Mr. Jaishankar said that Human Rights had not been discussed at the 2+2 and that India too had concerns about Human Rights in the US, like the attacks on 2 Sikhs in New York.
ANALYSIS OF THE OUTCOME
INDIA FOLLOWS AN INDEPENDENT FOREIGN POLICY:
- Despite creating too much pressure from the USA side, India maintained its foreign policy and gave preference to its own interest.
- Before the dialogue, the USA argued to India not to import oil from Russia, but India refused it by saying that India just imports only 1-2% of Russia’s oil.
DEFENSE:
- More military exercise is a good step to counter the Chinese activities in the Indo-pacific area.
- Apart from it, cooperation in the field of defence testing systems is an important development, which has often linked its defence dependency on Russia to the transfer of technology and co-production opportunities.
ON CHINA:
- Both countries tried to maintain a distance from China’s aggression on India’s border; this shows that the USA and India don’t want to take any chance in the present circumstances.
HUMAN RIGHTS:
- The USA showed concerns about human rights violations in India. But later, foreign minister S. Jaishankar said that Human Rights had not been discussed at the 2+2 and that India too had concerns about Human Rights in the US, like the attacks on 2 Sikhs in New York.
- What was clear is that despite the talk of “shared values”, this is another area of dissonance between India and the US.
2+2 AND THE LOST OPPORTUNITIES
2+2 AND INDIA-USA RELATIONS: THE JOURNEY SO FAR
WHY SHOULD THE USA CONSIDER SOME OF INDIA’S CONCERNS REGARDING RUSSIA?
The relations between India-USA are deepening day by day, but India wants to maintain healthy relations with Russia also, and the USA should consider this. The USA should not pressure India to take a stand against Russia because of the following reasons:
THE WAY FORWARD
- PM Modi and President Biden discussed a new India Pacific Economic Framework Initiative- collaboration would include digital trade and supply chain resilience. This can open up more opportunities for enhancing cooperation between the two countries.
- India made it clear that it would retain its freedom of choice in maintaining a friendly relationship with Russia. These meetings helped better understand India’s position at the official level and reduced misperceptions and unrealistic expectations.
- It is hoped that the US would avoid unnecessary hectoring to India, particularly on sensitive issues, as the latter would be forced to respond likewise for its own reasons.
- Differences of views on certain issues cannot be resolved immediately, and both countries would need to nurture this relationship with patience, understanding, and positive approaches.
THE CONCLUSION: The recent 2+2 meeting between India and the USA was not big on announcements but sent a reassuring message on the strength of the India-US partnership and its ability to focus on bilateral ties, even amidst a major geopolitical challenge where the two countries are not on the same page.
Just add to your knowledge
2+2 BETWEEN INDIA AND USA
- The US is India’s oldest and most important 2+2 talks partner.
- The first 2+2 dialogue between the two countries was held during the Trump Administration in 2018.
- India and the US have signed a troika of “foundational pacts” for deep military cooperation:
- Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016,
- Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) after the first 2+2 dialogue in 2018,
- Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) in 2020.
- The strengthening of the cooperation mechanisms between the two militaries is of significance in the context of an increasingly aggressive China.
COMBINED MARITIME FORCES (CMF)
- The CMF is a multinational maritime partnership, which exists to uphold the Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability, and prosperity.
- CMF’s main focus areas are counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation, engaging with regional and other partners to strengthen relevant capabilities in order to improve overall security and stability, and promoting a safe maritime environment free from illicit non-state actors.
- CMF has 34 member nations: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
Questions:
- ‘The relations between India and the USA are deepening continuously, but these should not be at the cost of India-Russia relations. Comment
- How far do you agree with the view that India leaning too much towards the USA will cost its foreign policy independence? Substantiate your view.
- In recent times, the 2+2 dialogue initiatives in foreign policy provide more scope to resolve the bilateral issues. Analyse the statement in the context of India’s 2+2 dialogues with the USA.
