India-US to sign Basic Exchange & Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial cooperation

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defence Secretary Mark Esper have expressed that y are ‘satisfied with BECA’ (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) and it will be signed on October 27 during two-day visit, said Defence Ministry. Ahe of 2+2 ministerial dialogue of Indian and US delegation, both ministers discussed potential new areas for cooperation at both Service to Service level and at joint level. Rajnath Singh and Mark Esper reportedly called for a defence dialogue mechanism especially amid COVID-19 pandemic at all levels. 

After one-hour-long meeting at South Block in New Delhi, Singh h anunced that talks were “fruitful” and y aimed at “deepening defence cooperation”. Reportedly, special focus of Singh-Esper meet was logistical support and maritime cooperation including majorly naval.

Apart from US delegation led by Esper, officials that joined talks were  Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General Maj Mukund Naravane, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhauria and Navy Chief miral Karambir Singh. Earlier, sources h revealed that BECA is expected to be signed on Tuesday. 

signing of BECA will be a significant landmark in US-India strategic cooperation as it allows India to use global geospatial maps of US for accuracy of stand-off weapons like cruise and ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, before talks resumed, US Ambassor to India greeted Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat & Navy Chief miral Karambir Singh with elbow bumps amid COVID-19 pandemic. All officials were seen wearing facemasks at all times even when just Esper and Singh held ir separate talks. 

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Pompeo, Esper in India

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo along with ESper and or officials arrived in India on October 26 to hold third round of 2+2 ministerial dialogues. se talks are aimed at strengning strategic ties especially amid rising influence of China’s Communist Party in Indo-pacific region.  Apart from defence secretaries meeting in New Delhi, Pompeo and Esper will also hold high-level 2+2 talks with external affairs minister S Jaishankar and Singh on October 27.

In se talks, it is expected that officials would cover full expanse of defence as well as security ties along with regional and global issues. However, high-level two-day visit by Pompeo and Esper came at time India and China are facing a border standoff and US elections being less than two weeks away. US Secretary of State has previously indicated that dialogue is primarily focussed on “threats” posed by Beijing. 

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