Ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit to India, the United States has said that its relationship with New Delhi and Islamabad is not a “zero sum” game.
Speaking to journalists in Washington, US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said: “We believe that a positive relationship between the US and Pakistan, a deepening relationship between the US and Pakistan, does not in any way, shape or form have to be seen through a zero-sum lens as it relates to India”. He
added: “Both these relationships can be advanced and deepened at the same time on a parallel track... That does not in any way demonstrate a preference for one relationship over the other, that these things can be mutually reinforcing, in fact.”
While a large number of Cabinet members and top US officials will accompany Mr Obama to India, in a notable break with tradition secretary of state Hillary Clinton will not be making the trip. Prominent among those in the Obama entourage are the new national security adviser, Mr Tom Donilon, who recently replaced Gen. James Jones (Retd), commerce secretary Gary Locke, agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack and USAID administrator Raj Shah, the highest-ranking Indian-American in the Obama administration. Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner is expected to be there for a part of the trip.
US First Lady Michelle Obama will accompany the President to India and Indonesia, but will break off from the rest of his Asia tour — to South Korea and Japan. And the US First Couple will miss a tryst with the Taj Mahal in Agra on their maiden India trip, though a future visit was not ruled out.
“He (Obama) would love to see the Taj Mahal. He could at some point,” said Mr Rhodes. “Certainly we wouldn’t rule out any visit (to the Taj) in the future ... Hopefully, we’ll be able to return to India. But right now, we’re focused on this upcoming trip,” he said in response to a question. The US President is, however, scheduled to visit the famed Humayun’s Tomb on the first day of his stay in New Delhi.
On Mr Obama’s forthcoming visits to India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan, all in China’s neighbourhood, Mr Rhodes said Washington wanted to engage Beijing, and had no intention to encircle it. “Our approach has always basically been that we need to cooperate with China on a range of issues. If you’re going to deal with the global economy and global economic growth, if you’re going to deal with security concerns in the region, if you’re going to deal with energy and climate, China has got to be a partner.”
Speaking at the same press conference, US undersecretary of state for political affairs William Burns said the Obama administration had always welcomed a dialogue between India and Pakistan and certainly encouraged efforts to improve relations. “Obviously the pace, scope and character of that dialogue is something that Indians and Pakistanis have to shape. But we’ll continue to both welcome and encourage it,” he said in response to a question. Added Mr Rhodes: “We do support efforts by India and Pakistan to pursuea dialogue with one another, so we’ll express support for that, as we always do.”
On Afghanistan, Mr Burns said the US “not only recognises, but supports the kind of role India has been playing in supporting development” in that country. He noted that India had contributed $1.3 billion in development assistance to Afghanistan in the past few years “at some cost, because there have been Indian workers who have lost their lives in that period.”
Later, while talking to a group of Indian journalists at a special White House briefing, Mr Rhodes said India had played a constructive role in Afghanistan. “No,” he said when asked if Washington was planning to push New Delhi to close its consulates in Afghanistan as demanded by Pakistan. Besides Kabul, where the Indian embassy is located, India has consulates in the eastern provinces of Jalalabad and Kandahar and in the western province of Herat.