BOOSTING INDIA-US TIES: A REGIONAL IMPERATIVE?

President Obama’s India visit: Why is it important for bilateral ties? Stabilizing South Asia: The Way Forward G Parthasarathy: S K Lambah: Jayadeva Ranade: S K Lambah: The visit of President Obama to India to join us in our Republic Day celebrations sends a clear message internationally. It demonstrates that the two largest democracies in the world are not only celebrating their commitment to democratic freedoms, but also strengthening their mutual cooperation, for the promotion of regional and global peace, security and cooperation. The US President’s visit is significant because it comes soon after his meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington DC. Such high-level interactions are good for the relationship to grow. The visit is symbolic– it shows that our relationship is strong and growing—and also full of content to make it meaningful. The content here can include doing something on the civil nuclear agreement. Some progress is being made on issues such as liability and international export regimes, and it would be wonderful if a mutually-viable deal could come through. The visit is important not only for its symbolic value, which is important, but for the tangible results that it can be expected to yield. It signals quite clearly that Prime Minister Modi’s government, which took the initiative to invite Obama, wants to re-energise the relationship. It underscores too that India and the US both view the relationship as strategically important, that neither will like it to plateau, and that both – especially the US – are willing to invest the time and effort required to raise the bilateral relationship to a higher level. It is an implicit green light from the US Administration to US business to come to India.