US, India Sign BECA, Several Other Agreements

By Staff, Agencies

India and the United States have signed the Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement [BECA] for Geo-Spatial Co-operation and several other agreements, an official said.

Under BECA, New Delhi and Washington would share satellite imagery of military Importance with each other.

Apart from the BECA, the countries signed a memorandum of understanding on Earth sciences and Earth observation; an agreement on customs data; a deal on the global nuclear energy center; and a letter of intent between India's Ministry of Health and the US, the Indian official announced.

US Secretary of War Mark Esper has made several statements on the subject, saying that both countries will co-operate in the growing security challenges which face the region.

Esper also said he is looking to advance sales of fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs].

Before this, Pompeo said that the visit is a new "new opportunity for two great democracies like ours to grow closer".

Pompeo added that opportunities for the two countries working together included: "Our co-operation on the pandemic that originated in Wuhan, to confronting the Chinese Communist Party's threats to security and freedom, to promoting peace and stability throughout the region".

A day earlier, Esper and Pompeo arrived in India for the third annual US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue that covers military co-operation issues of mutual interest, ranging from information exchange to trade.