Editorial: Robust relationship

Diplomatic maturity lies in tactfully harmonising divergences with the convergence of mutual interests and seeing that, at the end of the day, the latter prevails over the former. In the midst of ever changing global geopolitics and shifting power dynamics, the challenge for a democratic country like India is to balance the national interests in […]

Diplomatic maturity lies in tactfully harmonising divergences with the convergence of mutual interests and seeing that, at the end of the day, the latter prevails over the former. In the midst of ever changing global geopolitics and shifting power dynamics, the challenge for a democratic country like India is to balance the national interests in terms of security and trade with the need for being on the side of moral correctness. India’s conduct in the two recent engagements —the virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden and the ‘2 2 Ministerial Dialogue’ — has demonstrated its maturity in navigating the competing narratives and successfully extracting positive outcomes based on mutual interests and shared values. Despite differences over the Ukraine war and the subsequent sanctions against Russia, India and the US, the world’s two largest democracies, have ticked all the bilateral boxes and reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing defence and strategic cooperation in various domains, including relatively new ones such as space, artificial intelligence and cyberspace. It is a sign of maturity of the bilateral relationship that the two sides did not allow their differences to cast a shadow on the talks. Both countries are on the same page when it comes to envisioning a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and turning the Quad into a formidable force that can make a lasting impact beyond its multilateral framework. The 2 2 meeting — and the first under the Biden administration — of the Foreign and Defence Ministers of the US and India invoked shared values and international rules-based order to call upon all nations to condemn Moscow’s increasingly brutal actions in Ukraine.

During the talks, India has done well in affirming its right to pursue its own interests. The US too has appreciated New Delhi’s position and made it clear that it is not demanding an end to India’s oil acquisition from Russia. America has also reiterated its support for India’s permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council and its induction into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). India is keen to join the elite club whose members are entitled to hassle-free procurement of supplies from international markets for building and operating nuclear reactors, but China has been playing spoilsport in league with Pakistan. Timely transfer of technology holds the key to a mutually beneficial strategic partnership, particularly in defence and energy sectors. India and the US need to redouble efforts to get the best results on this front. For the US, the Ukrainian crisis has provided an opportunity to understand India’s nuanced position on the Russian invasion, given its dependence on Moscow for defence equipment as well as the need to prevent Russia from getting too close to China. Biden offered to help reduce India’s strategic dependence on Russia, and welcomed India’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

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