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According to US President Joe Biden’s nomination for next envoy to New Delhi, the expanding defence trade between India and the US is one of the bilateral relationship’s key success stories.
Mr. Biden’s closest confidant, Eric Michael Garcetti, 50, is the current Mayor of Los Angeles.
During his confirmation hearing for US Ambassador to India, Mr. Garcetti stated that he completely supports the rule of law, the implementation of CAATSA, and the waiver mechanism as part of that.
He was replying to a question on the enforcement of CAATSA penalties against India now that the S-400 missile system from Russia has begun to arrive in New Delhi.
“I do not want to make any assumptions regarding the Secretary’s decision on sanctions or waivers. And I want to assure the Chairman, Ranking Member, and other members (of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) that I fully support the law of the land, the implementation of CAATSA as law in our country, including the waiver provision “According to Mr. Garcetti.
If approved, the Los Angeles Mayor stated he would fight for India’s military system to be further diversified, citing challenges to US weapons systems.
“If that diversification does not happen, we must defend our data and systems,” he added, adding that he would try to expand the India-US Major Defence Partnership. “I believe it is one of the great success stories of the previous several decades, from zero to USD 20 billion in procurement, information sharing, interoperability, exercises, and marine activities,” he remarked.
The United States has identified India as its only Major Defense Partner.
With four major defence enabling agreements signed since 2016, the US and India have made significant progress as Major Defence Partners, and the US looks forward to expanding information sharing, bilateral and multilateral exercises, maritime security cooperation, liaison officer exchanges, and logistical cooperation.
In response to queries about human rights in India, Mr. Garcetti told lawmakers that he would personally discuss the problem with many players in India.
“I would not just bring it up, but I would not make it an obligation in the end. It will be a big part of what I would be talking about with my Indian colleagues “He expressed himself.
“Without a doubt, our shared commitment to democracy, human rights, and civil society should underlie our US-India partnership…
If this is confirmed, I will raise these concerns vigorously. With humility, I will raise them. On these issues, it is a two-way street, but I wish to engage civil society directly “He expressed himself.
“There will be direct interaction from me with organisations that are actively working for the human rights of people on the ground in India. We understand that democracies are complex, and we may compare ours to India’s, but it is a cornerstone of our common values “According to Mr. Garcetti,