India on Thursday sought to downplay as well as negate the perception of any setback to its interests — after the US Senate failed to pass a key India-related amendment necessary to modify its export control regulations — saying the preparation of the “National Defence Authorisation Act” in the US “is a process distinct from the decision of the US government to recognise India as a major defence partner” which “was an executive decision and already announced in the India-US joint statement of June 7”. Indian government sources insisted that it would “not im-pact” in any way India’s defence partner status.
India’s hopes of being effectively recognised as a “global strategic and defence partner” of the US had earlier appeared to have suffered a temporary setback after the US Senate failed to pass the key amendment so soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to a joint session of the US Congress.
In New Delhi, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) reacted to the developments, saying, “We have seen media reports about non-inclusion of an India-related amendment in the consideration of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) by the US Senate. The preparation of NDAA in the US Congress involves approval of different versions in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and their reconciliation to evolve a single consensual text, which is again put to vote in both chambers. The 2017 NDAA is in the process of its formulation and it would be premature to speculate about its final content. It may be noted that preparation of NDAA is a process distinct from the decision of the US Government to recognise India as a Major Defence Partner . This was an executive decision and already announced in the India-US Joint Statement of June 7. A number of Senators and Congressmen have moved proposals that only seek to reinforce this decision of the US Government . It reflects the bipartisan support in the US Congress for stronger defence cooperation between India and the US.”
According to news agency reports from Washington, the NDAA was passed by the Senate with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 85-13 but some of the key amendments including the “SA 4618” could not be passed even though they had bipartisan support. “The (Senate) amendment (No 4618) was not adopted to the NDAA,” a Congressional aide told news agency PTI in Washington. According to reports earlier, just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent address to a joint session of Congress, top Republican senator John McCain had moved an amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA-17) which if passed would have recognised India as a global strategic and defence partner.
But while New Delhi is emphasising that the status was granted by the US Government through an executive action, the fact remains that the status can become effective only if the amendment—-for modification of the export control regulations to allow the concerned defence exports to India—-is adopted by the US Congress. The US had earlier recognised India as a “major defence partner” in a joint statement issued after PM Modi held talks with President Barack Obama which supported defence-related trade and technology transfer to India which would now be treated on par with America’s closest allies.
