South Asian Monitor: India and the United States: Security Interests - June 1, 2001

June 1, 2001

A strong relationship with the United States has become a key element in the evolving Indian security policy. India's warm welcome to President Bush's statement on missile defense illustrates this, but the text of the Indian government's statement also shows that meshing the two countries' security agendas will take some work. Visits by India’s foreign minister, Jaswant Singh, to Washington and by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Armitage to Delhi, show that both countries want to move ahead. Now the two states need to determine where their strategic interests overlap and what kind of cooperation is feasible. Indian Ocean security would be a good place to start.