Thaindian News

Washington, Sep 16 (IANS) Carefully nurtured, the India-US bilateral relationship should become one of the world’s strategic pivots and improve prospects for global peace and prosperity in the 21st century, says a study by two US think tanks.

But this transition will require psychological adjustments from both nations, says a joint study group report released Thursday by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and Aspen Institute India (AII), “The United States and India: A Shared Strategic Future.”

India must shed outdated mindsets that still dominate much of its foreign policy elite and accept the obligations of its surging power, the report said.

“And the United States must accept a more collective form of global leadership, in which others shape the terms and conditions of multilateral cooperation.”

“If New Delhi and Washington can make this transition, their partnership has a limitless future,” it says.

The high-level study group, including luminaries from both countries, was co-chaired by Robert Blackwill, former US ambassador to India, and Naresh Chandra, chairman of India’s national security advisory board.

Other policy recommendations from the report include holding classified exchanges on multiple Pakistan contingencies, including the collapse of the Pakistan state and the spectre of Pakistan military losing control of its nuclear arsenal.

“The United States should heavily condition all military aid to Pakistan on sustained concrete antiterrorist measures by the Pakistan military against groups targeting India and the United States, including in Afghanistan.”

Washington, it said, should continue to provide technical assistance to Pakistan to protect its nuclear arsenal, and to prevent the transfer of this technology to third parties.

India on its part should continue its bilateral negotiations with Pakistan on all outstanding issues, including the question of Kashmir, the report said.

It also suggested initiation of quiet bilateral discussions with Pakistan on Afghanistan as well as trilateral discussions with Afghanistan.

Noting that neither India nor the United States desire confrontation with China, or to forge a coalition for China’s containment, the report said Washington and New Delhi should jointly and individually enlist China’s cooperation on matters of global and regional concern.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)