Find that fit

Find that fit

2+2 Dialogue with the US must make the most of aligned interests.

The first 2+2 Dialogue between India and the US – bringing together the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries – being held in New Delhi today is a great opportunity to enhance bilateral ties in the changing geopolitical climate. In fact, the Dialogue itself is proof that India-US relations have come a long way since the Cold War era, when it was marked by suspicion and hostility. However, New Delhi’s foreign policy mavens need to realise that geopolitics is changing again, in ways that bring new dangers as well as new opportunities. New Delhi must be nimble enough to adapt and make the most of fresh developments.

It wouldn’t be stretching things too far to say that at this point, and for the foreseeable future, America is and will be India’s most important foreign relationship. Their ties encompass the gamut of trade, investment, defence, technology and people-to-people relationships. But one development that restricts New Delhi’s space for manoeuvre is the sharpening confrontation between the US and Russia. Moscow’s interventions in Ukraine and interference in the 2016 US presidential elections have rankled Washington. Meanwhile, the current Trump administration’s approach to China, pushing back on unfair Chinese trade practices and hegemonic moves in the South China Sea and elsewhere in Asia, perfectly suits India.

US sanctions on Russia mean that any country engaged with the latter’s defence sector could face secondary American sanctions. India is seeking waivers from such sanctions in light of its planned purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system. Meanwhile, US defence sales to India have been increasing over the years. Any attempt to limit India’s strategic autonomy by, for example, thwarting the S-400 sale will be resisted by India, crimping India-US defence cooperation and possibly other aspects of the relationship. The sale should not be seen as a stumbling block by Washington.

But the trickiest issue currently afflicting the relationship is trade. The Trump administration’s mercantilist approach has seen India caught in the crosshairs of America’s import tariffs. However, if the US is serious about empowering India to achieve its own objectives in South and Southeast Asia, it must cut New Delhi some slack. Trump has been trying to re-orient American foreign policy by getting allies to do more. And India is willing to step up. It’s with this in mind that the 2+2 Dialogue should lay the foundation of a win-win strategic partnership.