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T V Parasuram in Washington
The United States and India have decided to resume their regular military dialogue interrupted by US sanctions in the wake of Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998, it is learnt.
The structures for the dialogue that were there before the nuclear tests will be revived.
The military parleys were conducted at two levels, one was the defence policy group, headed by the Indian defence secretary and his counterpart in the US.
At the second level were executive steering groups comprising officers of the Indian armed forces and their US counterparts at the vice chief's level.
These groups are expected to meet again before the end of the year.
It is also planned that Admiral Dennis Blair, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific and Indian Ocean, will carry out his third visit to India before the end of the year. His earlier visits to Delhi were in January.
Another visit on the cards is one by Commander, Pacific Air Force, General William Begert, at the invitation of the Indian air chief.
Indian Ambassador to US Lalit Mansingh was in Hawaii last week where he held talks with Admiral Blair and separately with four commanders in-charge of different wings in the US armed forces.
It is learnt that Mansingh covered in some detail the regional situation as also military-to-military co-operation between the two countries.
Singh was quoted by The Honolulu Advertiser as saying that it was time for India and the United States to put the Cold War behind them and begin a dialogue based on mutual goals.
"This is the beginning of a new relationship. We are going to see a revival of military dialogue at the highest level," he said.
Col Stephen Barger, a spokesman for the US Pacific Command, said about Mansingh's visit: "Our relationship with India is clearly on the upswing. This is a good opportunity to discuss topics of mutual interest and give the ambassador an orientation of the US Pacific Command."
The Bush administration, the paper noted, is pushing to ease sanctions against India once Congress returns from the summer recess. "Military officials," it reported "say strengthening ties could include joint exercises, officer exchanges and co-ordinated efforts to combat piracy and protect navigation through the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean."
PTI
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