US arms sale to Pak matter of concern for India: Antony

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Sep 27 (PTI) Ahead of his talks with top US
officials here, Indian Defence Minister A K Antony has said he
would convey New Delhi's concerns about supply of American
arms to Pakistan as a portion of them is being diverted
against India and seek an "early solution" to export control
restrictions.
Antony, who arrived here Sunday night along with a high-
power delegation to hold wide-ranging talks with US Defence
Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
National Security Adviser Gen (Retd) James Jones among others
in the next two days, said he would also call for moving from
a buyer-seller relationship to that of transfer of technology
and co-production.
"We feel that even though the US is giving arms to
Pakistan to fight terrorism, our practical experience is
(that) it is always being misused. They are diverting a
portion against India. Certainly I will express my concern,"
he told reporters hours after his arrival here.
Visiting Washington at the invitation of Defence
Secretary Robert Gates, Antony is accompanied by Eastern Army
Commander Lt Gen Bikram Singh and Andaman and Nicobar
tri-services Command Admiral D K Joshi, apart from IAF's
Director General (Air/Operations) Air Marshal A K Gogoi.
Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and the Defence
Minister's adviser Sundaram Krishna are also part of the
high-level delegation.
Noting that on the whole Indo-US defence relationship is
expanding, Antony said export control restrictions is another
"matter of concern" for India.
"We want an early solution to that (export control
restrictions)," he said, adding that defence bodies like
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are still
on entities' list.
"Both countries have stake in strengthening this
relationship," Antony said, adding that the bilateral defence
ties have been steadily strengthening in the recent past.
Responding to a question on recent remarks by the US
Defence Secretary that he would be discussing the fighter jet
deal with his Indian counterpart, Antony said he was not in a
position to tell who would get the multi-billion dollar
contract.
"It is a multi-vendor-situation. Trials are over. I can't
say who will get it," Antony said.
He also said that in the area of defence procurement,
India had a very few procurements from the US in the past, but
added that in the last few years it has increased steadily in
the high-technology area. "Many are in the pipelines... some
through multi-vendor routes, many more would come, but which
items I can't say." (More) PTI LKJ
RET


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