The US Air Force Secretary's decision to grant unescorted access to the Pentagon by an Indian defense attaché has been hailed as a positive step in the strengthening of Indo-US relations. The decision came at the request of India and was not politically motivated, as some belief, said Secretary Frank Kendall in an interview with The Diplomat magazine, adding that he approved it because it was aligned with the trust and cooperation that we share with India. The important point here is our relationship with India and all the things we have been doing together, Kendall told The Diplomat.
The Indian defense attaché now has unescorted access to the Pentagon, a move that is aligned with the trust and cooperation that we share with India, said US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. This is a historic first for India, and it signifies the growing closeness of our two countries militaries. The attaché will be able to move more freely around the Pentagon and have greater flexibility in meeting with US officials. This will no doubt lead to even greater cooperation between our two countries on defense matters.
The newly appointed Indian defense attaché now has unescorted access to the Pentagon, a sign of the increased trust and cooperation between our two countries. This is a fantastic opportunity for India to deepen its relationship with the United States, and we are excited to see what the future holds for our partnership.
Last year, India was the third-largest contributor to UN peacekeeping missions
In 2016, India contributed more than 8,500 personnel to UN peacekeeping missions around the world. This made India the third-largest contributor of troops to these missions, behind only Ethiopia and Bangladesh.
This is good news for the relationship between India and the United States. The fact that the Indian defense attaché now has unescorted access to the Pentagon shows that there is a lot of trust between the two countries. This is a positive development, as it signals improved cooperation between the two nations. Additionally, this move is in line with President Obama's goal of improving relations with India. He famously stated in 2009 that as the world’s largest democracy and India’s leading economic partner, America seeks an even stronger bilateral partnership. In his second term, he appointed Nisha Desai Biswal as Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia to help strengthen ties with India. When US President Barack Obama visited New Delhi last month, he said I want the people of India to know that we see you; we appreciate your culture; we admire your democracy.
The decision to grant the Indian defense attaché unescorted access to the Pentagon is a sign of the growing trust and cooperation between our two countries. This move will help improve communication and understanding between our militaries and further strengthen our relationship. We want to develop India as an ally and partner in countering terrorism. The US military has a long history of partnership with India, from sending US Navy ships for refueling at Mumbai port in 1971 during the war with Pakistan, to support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
