INDIA-US 2+2 MINISTERIAL DIALOGUE 2020
India and the United States have held the third India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and signed the significant defence pacts. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries. It is a format of dialogue where the defence/foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country. India holds such talks with Australia, Japan and the USA.
The U.S Secretary of Defence, Mark T. Esper, and U.S. Secretary of State, Michael R. Pompeo, who came to India on October 26 for the meet, was attended by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Both countries have signed a total of five agreements in 2+2 Ministerial dialogue.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, highlighted the signing of BECA- Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement as a significant achievement. Earlier, the first two 2+2 ministerial dialogue between India and the US were held in New Delhi in September 2018 and in 2019 in Washington D.C.
INDIA-USA SIGNED BECA MILITARY AGREEMENT
The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for geo-spatial cooperation is primarily a communication agreement proposed between the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency of the US Department of Defence and the Union Ministry of Defence. The agreement will allow India and the US to exchange important military information such as advanced satellite and topographic data including maps, nautical and aeronautical charts and geophysical, geodetic, geomagnetic and gravity data.
Most of the information exchanged will be unclassified and it will be shared in either digital or printed format. BECA agreement also includes the provision of sharing classified information as well, with proper safeguards to ensure that it is not shared with any third party. BECA is the last of the four foundational agreements signed between India and the US for strengthening defence ties. The other three agreements include:
• General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002. A follow-up extension agreement - Industrial Security Annex (ISA) - was signed in 2019.
• The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016.
• The Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMA) in 2018.
These agreements covered areas including security and military information, compatibility and security and logistics exchange and communications. BECA aims to enhance the geospatial cooperation between India and the US.
IMPACT OF BECA AGREEMENT ON INDIA AND CHINA
Under the BECA agreement, the US armed forces will provide advanced navigational aids and avionics and share geospatial intelligence with India that will help boost the accuracy of Indian military's automated hardware systems and weapons such as drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. The data procured under the agreement will be relevant for India's northern and western borders, which will be crucial given the current geopolitical situation.
The BECA agreement will help India and the US in countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The two QUAD partners have also been focused on increasing engagement with their other two QUAD partners- Australia and Japan. Australia has also been included in the Malabar war games that will be held next month near Indian waters. With this, the Malabar military exercise will now see participation from all four QUAD nations. The BECA agreement will also help narrow India's military gap with China in the wake of India-China border tensions.
OTHER SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIA-US 2+2 DIALOGUE
The 2+2 ministerial meeting also covered the developments in the neighboring countries of India and made it extremely clear that cross border terrorism is unacceptable. Indo-Pacific region was the particular focus of the talks and both the nations reiterated the significance of peace and stability for all the countries in the region. Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State made it clear that the US stands with India as the nation confronts threats to their liberty and sovereignty.
He also added that both the countries have been taking steps to strengthen the cooperation against all forms of threats and not just those posed by China. US Secretary of Defence, Mark Esper also mentioned that both India and the US stand shoulder to shoulder in support of a free and open indo-pacific for all, particularly amid the increasing aggression and destabilizing activities by China.
Both the countries also made the commitment to expand Indo-US relationship and cooperation. While sharing the areas of cooperation between both the nations, the US Secretary of State also laid out various other areas where both the US and India have been collaborating. India and the US have shown cooperation on cyber issues as well as the navies of both nations have held joint exercises in the Indian Ocean. Both the countries also came together for QUAD- Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. They worked together during India's upcoming term on the United Nations Security Council. The US has also made it clear that it continues to support India's permanent membership of the Security Council.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between nations on Technical Cooperation in Earth Observations and Earth Sciences. Agreement to extend the duration of the MoU on the Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership. Agreement on the electronic exchange of customs data. Letter of intent regarding cooperation in traditional Indian medicines. Discussions were held on the status of Afghanistan and support for its peace process.
CONCLUSION
The signing of BECA is a significant achievement for India as it is a sign of the USA accepting the Indian request for cooperation in the advanced field of maritime domain awareness. India-USA’s national security convergences have grown closer in a more multi-polar world and the meetings as well as the agreements not only advance their individual interests but also ensure that the bilateral cooperation between them makes a positive contribution in the world arena.
QUESTIONS (1-5)
Q.1 Recently, which of the following two countries have held the third 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi?
A. India & USA: ANSWER
B. India & Japan
C. India & Israel
D. India & Australia
Q.2 From the following options, which two Union Ministers have attended the third 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between India & US in New Delhi?
A. Amit Shah & Rajnath Singh
B. Rajnath Singh & S Jaishankar: ANSWER
C. Nirmala Sitharaman & Nitin Gadkari
D. Smriti Irani & Ravi Shankar Prasad
Q.3 In the third 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between India and US, the US side was represented by _______&_______?
A. Wilbur Ross & Mike Pence
B. Mike Pompeo & Ivanka Trump
C. Nikki Haley & Steven Mnuchin
D. Mark T. Esper & Michael Pompeo: ANSWER
Q.4 India & USA have signed the BECA Military Agreement. BECA is the last of the four foundational agreements signed. Which of the following are the other three agreements?
A. GSOMIA
B. LEMOA
C. CISMA
D. All of the above: ANSWER
Q.5 India-US signed BECA agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation stands for?
A. Bilateral Exchange and Cooperation Agreement
B. Basic Enhanced Cooperation Agreement
C. Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement: ANSWER
D. None of the above
