India US Strategic Partnership-Present and Future

India-U.S. Strategic Partnership-Present and Future

Introduction

Strategic partnership means mutual benefits of the countries that would work together to meet the common concerns of both sides. U.S. and India are relatively new strategic partners on the globe. This essay will address the historical background of these two countries relationship as well the present and future scenario of the partnership. Today India-U.S. relations are at the threshold of revolutionary developments. A remarkable change in the relationship between the two countries after the end of the cold war era can be perceived. Thanks to the changing international environment and the bilateral efforts on the part of the two countries that make it possible for the relations to prosper well than ever before in the past. The principal driver of this relationship is the growing convergence of economic and strategic interests of the two countries.

Discussion

Background

India and the U.S. are strategic partners today, but they were not always friends. They were also never adversaries. The problem between the two countries started during the Cold War when Americans sought partners and asked countries to choose sides, but India's nonalignment created tiff between the two countries. Secondly, India was not fully integrated into the global economy, therefore, was not a part of global supply chains that have linked so many Asian and other countries to the U.S. economy. Until the 1990s, India had policies that made the investment and trade with them extremely difficult which proved to be an obstacle between the two countries. Apart from these issues, one main obstacle in a good relationship of India-U.S was India's nuclear program. India's 1998 nuclear tests stalled genuine strategic engagement and proved to be a very significant obstacle indeed.

Present

The relationship between India and United States has transformed dramatically over the last decade. The cold war era is over followed by India's economic reforms in the early 1990's which paved the way for improved relations. Former President Clinton's visit to India played as a catalyst for improved relations, which have utterly changed the landscape.

United States and India formally reengaged the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Dialogue, in June 2010. The Strategic Dialogue produced a joint statement which outlined extensive bilateral initiatives in each of ten key areas, which includes, countering terrorism and advancing global security, disarmament and nonproliferation, trade and economic relations, high technology, energy security, climate change, agriculture, education, health, science and technology, and development. ...