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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis have had long-standing talks with senior Indian officials seeking to strengthen the alliance with one of Washington's key regional partners.
The interviews were to last a few hours and focus on strategic and security topics. They came amidst a series of conflicting issues, including Washington's calls for India to stop buying Iranian oil and a Russian air defense system.
But with the rapid development of trade and strategic relations between the United States and India, the two countries have been keen to minimize potential diplomatic problems.
"Freedom means that sometimes nations do not agree with each other," Mattis told reporters as he traveled to India, questioned about the country's plan to buy a sophisticated air defense system Russian. "It does not mean we can not be partners. This does not mean that we do not respect the sovereignty of these nations. "
India-US "2 + 2" negotiations, so-called because they include the highest diplomatic and military officials of both countries, have been postponed twice, the last time Pompeo was sent in July for talks in North Korea.
Pompeo and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj met separately on Thursday before joining senior defense officials for talks.
"India places the highest priority on its strategic partnership with the United States. We see that the United States is our partner of choice, "said Swaraj in his opening remarks.
Pompeo said that the United States appreciated its relations with India and noted that "we fully support the rise of India".
Mattis and India's Minister of Defense Nirmala Sithataman also met separately before joining the other two leaders.
Sitharaman, in his introductory remarks, said that defense cooperation has become one of the most important dimensions of the relationship between countries.
"We have acquired various advanced defense platforms in the United States. We are therefore partners in the development of defense capabilities in the broadest sense of the word, "she said.
She also said that both countries are setting a framework for closer cooperation between their armed forces and defense establishments. She urged US companies to become active partners in India's efforts to promote its local defense industry.
"Today, our partnership has become one of the most important in the region and the world," said Mattis.
The United States and India, he said, have already made the commitment to "create a prosperous, safe and free Indo-Pacific region where the sovereignty of all nations is respected, respected international standards, disputes waters and airspace. "
He recalled Modi's statement that nations should be free from the impossible burden of debt attributable to others.
There are, however, some stumbling blocks, including India's purchase of Iranian oil and Russia's S-400 ground-to-air missile system, which could trigger US sanctions against US oil and gas assets. India.
The US president said on Thursday that talks were underway on granting exemptions to India against US sanctions against Iran – India's second largest oil supplier – and Russia.
"Our effort here is not to penalize major strategic partners like India," he said.
Pompeo also said that India has pledged to purchase more energy products and aircraft from the United States to reduce the trade deficit.
C. Raja Mohan, one of the leading analysts of Indian foreign policy and director of the Institute of South Asian Studies of the National University of Singapore, noted that relations between the United States and United and India had been significantly strengthened over the last two decades and that Trump had intensified diplomatic pressure on the major rivals of India, Pakistan and China, which it's worth a lot of goodwill.
Raja Mohan downplayed the news in US and Indian media that Trump has imitated Modi's focus in meetings with his senior officials.
Mr. Modi, he noted, was for a long time the main person in charge of the Indian state of Gujarat to which he refused an American visa because of accusations that he did not repress enough the riots between Hindus and Muslims of 2002.
"This government is pragmatic," said Mohan. Modi "saw a lot worse than people make fun of his accent".
Pompeo met Pakistan's new Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday in Islamabad. Khan later said he was optimistic that he could restore the relationship with Washington after the United States cut aid payments for Islamabad's alleged failure to fight the country's militants. .
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