By IANS,
New Delhi: With the US keen on a joint foreign-defence strategic dialogue with India, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Tuesday he did not favour such talks as this was not the way his ministry functioned.
“We are following certain procedures and systems. As far as the defence ministry is concerned, so far we have not felt the need for any kind of two-plus-two (joint foreign and defence ministry) dialogue with any country at the ministerial level,” Antony told reporters here on the sidelines of an army event.
He was reacting to queries on reports that he had put his foot down on a US proposal to India to have a joint dialogue between their foreign and defence ministers.
The defence ministry has objected to the US suggestion that the Indian ministers of defence and external affairs should hold talks with the American defence secretary and the secretary of state at joint meetings under the strategic dialogue process between the two countries.
The proposal has now been given up and hence the two streams of dialogues on strategic affairs and defence between India and US the will now continue in existing bilateral formats.
“The two-plus-two dialogue is not our practice. Our defence dialogues are always bilateral. They are more effective and more useful. So we believe that at the ministerial level, two-plus-two is not effective. That is why we have not so far
engaged in any kind of two-plus-two with any country,” Antony said.
He said the defence ministry wanted to continue with the existing system of ministerial dialogues.
“We don’t find any reason to change that system we are following from the very beginning. Let it be. With the US also, we will continue our defence dialogue,” he added, referring to the bilateral visits of US Defence Secretary Robert Gates to India twice in the last four years and his own visits to Washington.
“We have the defence dialogue. Our policy is only bilateral. So ministerial level two-plus-two is not the practice we are following…that is the main thing,” he said.
Clarifying that it should not be construed as anti-US, Antony said: “Don’t say it is against anybody. We are saying no to such dialogues with everybody. Our relations with the US are very, very friendly and this is steadily increasing,” he said, noting that the next round of defence dialogue between him and the US defence secretary will happen in Delhi at a mutually convenient date.
“Relations are improving, but we have a pattern (of dialogue) and that will not be changed,” he made it clear.
Antony had in April cancelled a “two-plus-two” meeting with the US, citing assembly elections in India, including in his home state Kerala.
On the $10.4 billion tender for 126 combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force, Antony made it clear that India will strictly go by the trial report and price of the contending aircraft.
India had last month down selected two European firms — EADS and Dassault — to continue in the tender, rejecting the proposals from US firms Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Russian company United Aircraft Corporation and Swedish firm SAAB.
“MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) is a business deal. It is not US-centric. Six candidates were there (in the fray). Everybody wants to get the contract. So all of them tried to win the contract, which is natural. I do not think it is any pressure,” he said.
“But Indian procurement system is so transparent, so open…there is no political decision or interference. Everybody will get a level-playing field and the ultimate decision will be based on a strict profession decision relying on trials and prices. There will be no other consideration,” he added.