Joint Statement from India and the United States

Source: The post is based on the article “Joint Statement from India and the United States” published in PIB on 8th September 2023

What is the News?

The Prime Minister of India and US President held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of G20.

What are the key takeaways from the India and US President bilateral meeting?

Quad: Both countries reassured the significance of the Quad in supporting a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific region.They looked forward to the next Quad Leaders’ Summit, to be hosted by India in 2024. 

UN Reform and Security Council: US President reaffirmed his support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member.India’s candidature for the UNSC non-permanent seat in 2028-29 was also welcomed by the US.

Technology Cooperation: Both leaders acknowledged the role of technology in their partnership and commended the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).

Space: ISRO and NASA have started discussions for a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024.

– India and the United States also intend to increase coordination on planetary defense to protect planet Earth and space assets from the impact of asteroids and near-Earth objects.

Semiconductor Supply Chains: They recognized the importance of resilient semiconductor supply chains and welcomed investments from U.S. companies in India.

Telecommunications and Digital Inclusion: An MoU was signed between Bharat 6G Alliance and Next G Alliance to deepen cooperation in telecommunications. They also discussed digital inclusion.

Defence Collaboration: The leaders pledged to enhance cooperation in defence, including space and AI. Negotiations for manufacturing GE F-414 jet engines in India are underway.

– The leaders also commended the India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) team for establishing a robust collaboration agenda to harness the innovative work of the U.S. and Indian defense sectors to address shared security challenges.

Quantum Technology: The United States reiterated its commitment to working together with India in the quantum domain both bilaterally and through the Quantum Entanglement Exchange (a platform to facilitate international quantum exchange opportunities).

India-U.S. Global Challenges Institute: The two leaders welcomed the signing of an MoU between Indian universities represented by the Council of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT Council) and the Association of American Universities (AAU) to establish the India-U.S. Global Challenges Institute.

– This institute will bring together leading research and higher-education institutions from across our two nations, including beyond AAU and IIT membership, to advance new frontiers in science and technology.

WTO disputes: The leaders lauded the settlement of the seventh and last outstanding World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute between India and the United States.This follows the unprecedented settlement of six outstanding bilateral trade disputes in the WTO in June 2023. 

Innovation Handshake: The two leaders  welcomed the development of an ambitious “Innovation Handshake” agenda within the India-US Commercial Dialogue. 

– This initiative will encompass two anchor events—one in India and the other in the United States—where startups, private equity and venture capital firms, corporate investment departments, and government officials from both countries will collaborate to strengthen connections within their respective innovation ecosystems.