Defence pact with US not aimed at joining arms race: India
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, July 11, IRNA
India-US
Allaying apprehensions that the Indo-US framework agreement on defence cooperation will fuel arms race, New Delhi's Defence Minister Pranab Minister today said in the eastern metropolitan city of Kolkata, it would ensure that there was no sudden disruption in supplies during period of hostilities, reports Press Trust of India.
"The agreement was not aimed at joining any arms race, "Mukherjee said adding "we are not interested in procuring arms."
The agreement would help India in getting technology transfer and also to ensure that there was no sudden disruption in supplies during period of hostilities because the reliability of US as a supplier is poor, the minister said at the annual general meeting of Indian Paint Association (IPA) in Kolkata.
His comments came in the backdrop of the Left parties, including Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India (CPI) stepping up their campaign against the agreement asking the government not to go into such strategic partnership with USA "that deflects the UPA government from the Common minimum program."
"I have spoken to CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and CPI general secretary A. B. Bardhan already explaining the rationale for signing the agreement. I will also speak to RSP (Revolutionary Socialist Party) and Forward Bloc to convince them.
"Every political party has its own view. I will try to convince them," he said.
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