NEW YORK: Agreeing to “further refine” the India-US strategic partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama have decided to step up cooperation in areas like security, counter-terrorism, defense, economy and climate change.
During the fifth meeting between the two leaders in over a year, Obama also reiterated support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council while Modi pressed for reform of the world body within a fixed time frame.
The climate change issue dominated the talks, with Obama saying India’s leadership at the upcoming global conference in Paris in November will set the tone for decades to come after Modi underlined the need for concrete outcomes at the meet.
Underlining India’s commitment to deal with the problem, Modi said there should be no negativity ahead of the global summit as he pressed for transfer of finances and technology to developing countries at affordable costs and make it accessible to those needy.
Setting the tone for the delegation-level meeting, Obama warmly received Modi by hugging him.
“We discussed how we can further refine our strategic vision,” said Obama after the hour-long talks.
He said the two leaders discussed how to move forward in various areas like security, economy, trade and investment as also cooperation to defense procurement.
“On all these issues, the Prime Minister has been an outstanding partner,” Obama said.
“Our meeting today was very productive in advancing some of our immediate priorities as also our broader strategic partnership,” Modi said.
Appreciating the US President’s “friendship, vision and commitment for the relationship”, he said the bilateral partnership addresses a broad range of strategic and security concerns – counter terrorism, cyber security, training.
“Our defense cooperation, including defense trade and training is expanding. As existing terrorism threats grow and new ones emerge, we have resolved to further deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism and radicalism,” the Prime Minister said.
On terrorism front, Modi said it is a global phenomenon from which no country can be immune and told Obama that time has come for the international community to come out in a strong and united manner against the menace.
He said the two sides agreed to further strengthen consultation and cooperation on helping the Afghan people combat terrorism and build a peaceful, stable and prosperous future of their nation.
The Prime Minister said the Indo-US partnership addresses a broad range of strategic and security concerns.
“To further increase our strategic engagement in the region, I look forward to working with the US for India’s early membership of Asian Pacific Economic Community,” he said.
He welcomed the progress in giving shape to the Joint Strategic Vision on Asia, Pacific and Indian Ocean Regions as also the joint engagement with regional partners like Japan, saying it will “strengthen our maritime security cooperation”.
Indian Ambassador to the US Arun Singh said talks between India and the US on Aircraft carrier technology is at an advance stage, with the two sides identifying specific projects to implement.
Natural Partners
Calling India and the US “natural partners”, Obama said the two countries have elevated their relationship and committed themselves to a new partnership.
“We’ve elevated our ties. We’ve committed ourselves to a new partnership between our countries,” Obama told Modi.
“And there’s been excellent follow-through on a whole range of issues,” Obama added.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the meeting was held in a “very very positive and cordial” atmosphere.
There was a broad acknowledgement on both sides about the significant progress made in the implementation of the decisions taken in previous meetings, and of the substantial progress achieved in bilateral ties, Swarup told reporters.
“Both sides, President Obama in particular, said India and US were natural partners, with democracy and technology providing a very strong foundation to the already very stirring friendship between the two peoples,” the spokesperson said.
“You can see the personal chemistry between the two leaders the way the embrace happened between them,” he said.
Those present at the meeting said Obama walked to Modi on the other side of the table and gave him a warm hug, informally addressing him as Modi and at times Narendra, his first name.
“I deeply value our friendship and your vision and commitment for the relationship between our countries. We have achieved significant progress in our bilateral cooperation and international partnership,” Modi said in a joint media appearance with Obama.
The two leaders have earlier met in New Delhi, Washington, Burma and Brisbane.
There was a reference made to the Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, which was something that was decided when Obama visited New Delhi in January.
Modi said this meeting and his engagement in the US demonstrate the extraordinary depth and diversity of the relationship.
“Our meeting today was very productive in advancing some of our immediate priorities and also our broader strategic partnership,” he said.
Shun negatives
Modi asserted that countries should shun negativism and focus on a positive agenda to tackle climate change.
“President and I share an uncompromising commitment on climate change, without affecting our ability to meet the development aspirations of humanity. We have both set ambitious national agendas,” Modi said.
During the talks, Modi underlined the need for concrete outcomes at the upcoming global conference on climate change in Paris starting November.
Briefing reporters on Modi’s meeting with Obama, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “As far as the substantive issue of climate change is concerned, the PM made it very clear that the current climate of negativism was not a useful factor as we approach COP21 in Paris.”
“He (Modi) said that rather than just putting pressure, piling pressure…it would have been far better if we had a positive agenda which enabled countries to go in for more sustainable paths of development by providing finance and the requisite technology,” Swarup said.
In a brief statement after the talks, Obama stated that much of his discussion with Prime Minister Modi was focused on the upcoming climate conference.
“We are encouraged by the aggressive nature of Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to clean energy…I think India’s leadership in the upcoming conference will set the tone not just for today but for decades to come,” Obama said.
“I have confidence our ability to partner with other large countries like China,” he said.
Talking about India’s aggressive push for the cause of climate change, Modi said, “Our measures include not just a plan to add 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, but a development strategy that will enable us to transition to a more sustainable energy mix.”
“This is an exercise we are undertaking in the spirit of our culture and tradition, but also because of our commitment to the future of this planet,” he said.
Modi said India and US’ extraordinary bilateral partnership in the energy sector focuses on clean and renewable energy and energy efficiency.
He thanked Obama for the positive response to his call for a global public partnership for developing affordable clean energy sources that will enable faster adoption of clean energy across the world.
“We should work together to advance that goal. And, it is equally important to develop mechanisms to ensure that the affordable also become accessible to those who need it the most,” Modi said.
“We look forward to comprehensive and concrete outcome in Paris with a positive agenda on combating climate change, which also focuses on access to finance and technology for the developing world, especially the poor countries and small island states,” he said.
Unite against terrorism
Modi said that terrorism is a global phenomenon from which no country can be immune and told Obama that time has come for the international community to come out in strong and united manner against the menace.
“The Prime Minister said that terrorism is a global phenomenon which impacts every country. No country is immune from the threat of terrorism,” MEA spokesman Swarup said.
“We ourselves have been battling it for the last four decades. The time has come for the international community to speak in one voice on the issue of terrorism to resolve the long-pending International Convention on Terrorism which has been held up because of the differences on definition of terrorism,” Swarup quoted Modi as saying.
“As existing terrorism threats grow and new ones emerge, we have resolved to further deepen cooperation on counter- terrorism and radicalism,” the Prime Minister said after the meeting.-PTI
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