On Monday, United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark Esper arrived in New Delhi for the 2+2 ministerial dialogue with their Indian counterparts, S. Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh, respectively. This is the third US-India 2+2 meeting in two years. After US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the mechanism, the first meeting under the forum was conducted in September 2018 in New Delhi, and the second took place in Washington in December 2019.
A statement by the Indian Defence Ministry announced the two sides’ decision to enter their final “foundational agreement”, called the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA). The ministry’s statement said, “The two Ministers expressed satisfaction that agreement of BECA will be signed during the visit.”
Previously, both sides had expressed their willingness to reconcile the differences and move forward with the agreement. A major sticking point in the negotiations was the issue of reciprocity in exchanging data. While the agreement has been in discussion for several years, its finalisation was obstructed by the previous Indian National Congress-led coalition, which was resistant to disclose classified information and data.
Previously, India and the US have entered into three other foundational agreements—the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, and the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018. Further, the Industrial Security Annex (ISA), which is an extension of the GSOMIA, was signed during the previous 2+2 dialogue. These agreements aim to enhance the cooperation between Indian and American forces and promote the exchange of information. While the previous documents laid the groundwork for interoperability of military logistics, BECA specifically enables the sharing of geospatial information, which includes nautical and aeronautical charts, geomagnetic and gravity data, and imagery.
On Saturday, an official from the US State Department said, “This agreement (BECA) will allow for expanded geospatial information sharing between our armed forces.” Further, he spoke of the intention to expand the communication between the two sides’ militaries, foreign ministries, and defence ministries.
Following his two-day visit to New Delhi, Pompeo is also set to visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The American leader’s trip to the two South Asian countries, along with the expansion of the US-India military partnership, is a part of the larger goal of the Quad to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific and of the Trump administration to garner support ahead of the November Presidential election.
India and US to Sign Crucial Geo-Spatial Agreement
On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark Esper arrived in New Delhi for the 2+2 ministerial dialogue. This is the third such meeting in two years.
October 27, 2020
SOURCE: THE HINDU