US Senate Rejection Will Not Have an Impact on India-US Relations

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, while playing down the rejection by the US Senate, says that India is still a major defense partner although the Senate failed to pass an amendment on India as a major defense and strategic partner of the US.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that the failure to get the US Senate's nod will not have a major impact on India-US relations.

"This does not impact in any way our ‘Major Defense Partner' status that was conveyed by the US Administration and also articulated in the Indo-US Joint Statement," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup further added that, "The preparation of the National Defense Authorization Act in the US Congress involves approval of different versions in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and their reconciliation to evolve a single consensual text, which is again put to vote in both chambers. The 2017 NDAA is in the process of its formulation and it would be premature to speculate about its final content."

Vikas Swarup also added that the preparation of the NDAA is a process distinct from the decision of the US government to recognize as a Major Defense Partner.

"This was an executive decision and already announced in the India-US Joint Statement of June 7. A number of Senators and Congressmen have moved proposals that only seek to reinforce this decision of the US government. It reflects the bipartisan support in the US Congress for stronger defense cooperation between India and the US," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

US Republican Senator John McCain had moved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act which was not passed but if passed would have recognized India as a global strategic and defense partner of the United States.