Coronavirus Impacts Indo-US Dialogue as Meeting Cancelled

Editor Bilateral

New Delhi: The Coronavirus has impacted the upcoming India-US Military Cooperation Group (MCG) dialogue scheduled for later this month as the dialogue has been cancelled and the proposed trip of US Defence Secretary Mark Esper is also in question, defence sources said.

India is considering a US request for posting liaison officers at the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) which were to have figured at the dialogue.

 

“The MCG dialogue, to be held in the US this time, has been cancelled due to COVID-19. The formal decision on Esper’s visit is expected on Monday,” sources said, adding that even the visit of US Defence Secretary appears doubtful.

The MCG is a forum to review the progress of defence cooperation between India’s Integrated Defence Staff and the USINDOPACOM at the strategic and operational levels. The Integrated Defence Staff was responsible for coordination among the armed forces before the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff.

 

“We have posted a liaison officer at the US Navy Central Command in Bahrain and a US liaison officer, in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, has joined the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region at Gurugram,” sources said. This is an outcome of the agreement reached at the 2+2 dialogue in December last in Washington, which also “noted their [India and the US] intent to explore further military liaison relationships.”

The MCG was to have reviewed the decisions taken at the 2+2 dialogue and the recent visit of President Donald Trump to India. Further, it was to follow up on the visit and fast-track the decisions, including that on 24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters, sources said.

 

The two sides are also moving fast to operationalise the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCOSA). This is one of the four foundational agreements that the US signs with allies and partners to facilitate interoperability between armed forces and sale of high-end technology.

A meeting was held in Hawaii in February, and a lot of work has already been done, sources said.

The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation (BECA), the last foundational agreement, is still a work in progress, they said.