By Niharika Mandhana in The aWall St Journal, Oct 26, 2017
NEW DELHI—The U.S. and India agreed to work together more closely to bolster regional security and prevent other nations from providing safe spaces for terrorists, during a visit here by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said Wednesday the U.S. and India plan to hold three-way talks with Afghanistan aimed at increasing regional stability.
Ms. Swaraj said the two sides also agreed that Pakistan must take immediate steps to end havens for terrorists on its soil. India and the U.S. say Pakistan harbors terrorist organizations that launch attacks in neighboring Afghanistan and India, a claim Islamabad denies.
“We believe President [Donald] Trump’s new strategy can succeed only if Pakistan takes action against all terror groups,” Ms. Swaraj said, referring to the Trump administration’s approach to the Afghanistan conflict. That policy depends on ending havens for Afghan militants in Pakistan, the U.S. has said.
Mr. Tillerson, who arrived in New Delhi after a visit to Islamabad, said he had told Pakistani leaders “too many terrorist organizations find a safe place in Pakistan” and that their expansion could undermine the stability of Pakistan’s government.
In Wednesday’s talks, Indian and U.S. officials also discussed efforts to boost India’s security role in the Indo-Pacific region by equipping it with advanced military technology and expanding cooperation with U.S. allies in Asia, such as Japan.
“The U.S. supports India’s emergence as a leading power and will continue to contribute to Indian capabilities to provide security throughout the region,” Mr. Tillerson said.
The U.S. sees India as a democratic counterweight to China and has sought to bring New Delhi closer into its orbit. In an India-focused speech last week in Washington, Mr. Tillerson referred to the world’s largest democracies as “the two bookends of stability on either side of the globe” and said they “must serve as the eastern and western beacons of the Indo-Pacific.”
During that speech, Mr. Tillerson also criticized Beijing’s policies in the South China Sea, where it is involved in maritime disputes with numerous Asian countries.
Although India is unwilling to enter a formal alliance with the U.S., it has shed its reluctance to building closer security and economic ties as it confronts growing Chinese power. Beijing has expanded its footprint in India’s neighborhood, with big infrastructure and port projects in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
Earlier this year, Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a weekslong standoff over Beijing’s road-building activities in a disputed area between China and neighboring Bhutan, which is an Indian ally.
While Mr. Trump is looking to forge closer ties with India, his approach to immigration has stirred concerns in New Delhi. He has raised questions about the use of skilled-worker visas that Indian professionals benefit from and signaled he might find a way to tighten restrictions on them. Ms. Swaraj said she had raised this issue with Mr. Tillerson. https://www.wsj.com/articles/tillerson-seeks-closer-cooperation-with-india-1508935452
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