In so much as joint bilateral statements mean anything at all, the one that came at the conclusion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Washington is quite sanguine.
It followed President Donald Trump’s description of India as a “very, very incredible nation.” I don’t quite know what that means. Incredible has many meanings and in and of itself is a strong enough superlative. Why add very—and that too two of it—before it as if he is really trying to sell it to that very, very country’s leader who lives in that “very, very incredible nation”? I wanted to get that out of my system very, very urgently.
What jumped out at me—I mentioned that in my Facebook update yesterday—was the use of the term “Indo-Pacific Region” and describing America and India as “democratic stalwarts” in a less than subtle reminder to China. Indo-Pacific has a ring to it that is bound to deeply please India.
The statement says:
As responsible stewards in the Indo-Pacific region, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed that a close partnership between the United States and India is central to peace and stability in the region. Recognizing the significant progress achieved in these endeavors, the leaders agreed to take further measures to strengthen their partnership. In accordance with the tenets outlined in the U.N. Charter, they committed to a set of common principles for the region, according to which sovereignty and international law are respected and every country can prosper. To this end, the leaders:
- reiterate the importance of respecting freedom of navigation, overflight, and commerce throughout the region;
- call upon all nations to resolve territorial and maritime disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law;
- support bolstering regional economic connectivity through the transparent development of infrastructure and the use of responsible debt financing practices, while ensuring respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the rule of law, and the environment; and
- call on other nations in the region to adhere to these principles.
The term Indo-Pacific has been used thrice and, significantly, in the context of “promoting stability” across it. Although during his April visit, President Xi Jinping of China was described by President Trump in comparably enthusiastic tones, New Delhi can be forgiven for thinking that the joint statement is remarkably pro-India.
The use of Indo-Pacific lends India at least an identifiable sense of consequential role beyond just South Asia. Of course, it might seem largely notional but like said it has a nice ring to it. Beijing would have noticed that. Within South Asia the statement makes two specific references of some considerable interest—about Pakistan and Afghanistan.
On the heels of Washington designating Syed Salahuddin, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leader as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, much to India’s approval, the statement says:
They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups including Al-Qa’ida, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, D-Company, and their affiliates. India appreciated the United States designation of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leader as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist as evidence of the commitment of the United States to end terror in all its forms. In this spirit, the leaders welcomed a new consultation mechanism on domestic and international terrorist designations listing proposals.
The leaders called on Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries. They further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, and other cross-border terrorist attacks perpetrated by Pakistan-based groups.
To make it even sharper for Islamabad, the statement mentions India’s role in Afghanistan thus:
“President Trump welcomed further Indian contributions to promote Afghanistan’s democracy, stability, prosperity, and security. Recognizing the importance of their respective strategic partnerships with Afghanistan, the leaders committed to continue close consultations and cooperation in support of Afghanistan’s future.”
There were several other favorable references and expressions of support for India in the statement but the two which have some popular resonance among India’s political constituency relate to its membership of the United Nations security Council and the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The statement endorses both saying, “As global nonproliferation partners, the United States expressed strong support for India’s early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group. President Trump reaffirmed the support of the United States for India’s permanent membership on a reformed U.N. Security Council.”
Beyond the diplomatic effusion, one has to be conscious that similar statements have been issued in the recent past about India-US relations. They feel great in the moment before the hard realities take over. However, at the very least they do underscore the intent and to that extent they are to be welcomed.