U/S EDELMAN AND DEFMIN ANTONY AGREE ON POSITIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 007885 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2021 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MASS MCAP KSTC KOMC IN SUBJECT: U/S EDELMAN AND DEFMIN ANTONY AGREE ON POSITIVE DIRECTION OF THE RELATIONSHIP IN FOLLOW-ON TO DEFENSE POLICY GROUP Classified By: Ambassador David Mulford for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) Summary. Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman that his ministry assessed that the Defense Policy Group meeting had been a success, and that he anticipated further U.S.-India cooperation in the future, adding that on the whole the military-military relationship is moving in the right direction. U/S Edelman concurred with the assessment, and both agreed that the goal for the future should be that more can and should be achievable in the mil-mil field. U/S Edelman told Antony that the Department of Defense has decided to make the electronic scanning AESA radar available to U.S. companies competing for India's multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) contract. The two also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and prospects for the civilian nuclear cooperation initiative. End summary. ¶2. (C) In a courtesy call meeting immediately following the conclusion of the Defense Policy Group (DPG) in November 16, Undersecretary Edelman described for Defense Minister A.K. Antony his assessment that the DPG had gone very well and had built on the basis of the Defense Framework agreed to by Secretary Rumsfeld and then-Defense Minister Mukherjee in SIPDIS June 2005. He briefed Antony on the DoD decision to make electronic scanning radar available to U.S. companies competing for the MRCA, stressing not only the advanced capabilities of the radar system but also the opportunity such a purchase would have to enhance joint cooperation and interoperability. ¶3. (C) Antony said he had been briefed by his staff on the DPG, and was happy to hear that it had been so useful. Noting it was the second DPG since the Defense Framework had been agreed on, he said bilateral relations are progressing and added it is Indian government policy to expand cooperation with the United States. He also noted that the number and scale of joint military exercises has increased, as well as defense acquisitions from the U.S. Two large democracies such as the U.S. and India, with their equally large bureaucracies, are bound to have problems implementing procurement policies, he said, but on the whole things are moving in the right direction. ¶4. (C) U/S Edelman said he agreed with the Minister's assessment, and added that, given the breadth and depth of our exchanges, more frequent meetings at the working level are required. He described changes taking place within DoD and explained that there will now be a new position at the Assistant Secretary level ready to lead a Joint Defense Group to more fully discuss the strategic military relationship. Minister Antony welcomed the idea, and encouraged the military-to-military meetings to become even more meaningful, adding that frank exchanges and feedback from both sides is essential. ¶5. (C) U/S Edelman then described for Antony meetings he had NEW DELHI 00007885 002 OF 002 held the day before with National Security Advisor Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Menon (reported septel),where they discussed, inter alia, the situation in Afghanistan. Citing the President's statements, U/S Edelman assured the Defense Minister that the U.S. remains committed to helping Afghanistan become a stable and prosperous country. Antony expressed the GOI's concern that the Taliban was strengthening and that Pakistan was providing a safehaven for insurgents. U/S Edelman reported on discussions held during the DPG on Afghanistan, where the U.S. and India had noted parallel concerns in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and described upcoming steps the U.S. is taking, such as sending 4-star General McNeill to take over NATO forces in February and providing a supplemental funding bill to provide adequate resources. ¶6. (C) The meeting ended with a brief discussion on prospects for the passage of the civil nuclear cooperation initiative bill, which Ambassador Mulford said was likely to be voted on in the Senate later in the day. U/S Edelman noted the civ-nuke deal was not a DoD issue per se, but offered that the DoD strongly supported the deal and described efforts he had personally taken to support it. Antony closed the meeting by reiterating his ministry's assessment that the DPG was "most useful," and said he hoped even more could be accomplished in the future. ¶7. (U) U/S Edelman has not cleared this cable. MULFORD