External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj and U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry led their respective delegations at the fifth annual India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi on July 31, 2014. Both sides recognized the opportunity to strengthen ties following the recent mandate given to India's new government.
The leaders expressed confidence that the upcoming summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama in September would invigorate bilateral relations. The dialogue included discussions on trade and economic issues, with participation from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and India's Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman.
Both countries agreed to deepen defense cooperation ahead of U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel's visit in August, focusing on military exercises, defense trade, and research into new technologies.
Addressing terrorism threats, particularly in South Asia, both nations committed to intensifying efforts against terrorism and related crimes while complying with respective laws. They welcomed ongoing counter-terrorism collaborations and agreed to enhance legal assistance and extradition processes.
Secretary Kerry reaffirmed U.S. support for India's membership in various international groups such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and praised India's decision to ratify its Additional Protocol with the IAEA.
In economic discussions, Kerry welcomed increased foreign investment limits in Indian sectors like defense and railways. Both sides aimed to identify investment opportunities in manufacturing and infrastructure.
Trade concerns were addressed with plans for a Ministerial Trade Policy Forum later in 2014, alongside expanded dialogues on commercial cooperation.
The United States will participate as a partner country at India's Technology Summit in November 2014. Further scientific collaboration was encouraged through initiatives like clean energy partnerships under PACE (Partnership to Advance Clean Energy) and space cooperation projects.
On civil nuclear matters, both countries reiterated their commitment to implementing agreements swiftly, urging relevant companies to expedite necessary work for establishing nuclear power plants in India.
Education emerged as a key area for future cooperation with calls for improved student assessments through partnerships between testing institutions from both countries.
Recognizing regional security contributions, both leaders emphasized joint efforts supporting Afghanistan's stability amid its electoral process challenges. They also condemned terrorism universally while urging Pakistan to bring perpetrators of past attacks to justice.
Concerns over violence escalation were voiced regarding Iraq, Gaza-Israel conflicts, and Syria's humanitarian situation, urging restraint and political solutions aligned with international communiques where applicable.
The dialogue concluded with encouragements for further partnership plans across departments while scheduling the next round of strategic talks in the United States in 2015.