‘Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai’, Says Mike Pompeo Ahead of India Visit

Mike Pompeo said that India and US have a “unique opportunity” to take the bilateral relationship to next level.

File photo of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

(Photo: AP)

Citing the popular election slogan ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai,’ US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has sought to take the bilateral relationship with India to the next level and said that the Trump and Modi Administrations have a “unique opportunity” to make it happen.

“As Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said in his latest campaign, 'Modi hai to mumkin hai,’ or ‘Modi makes it possible,’ I'm looking forward to exploring what's possible between our people,” Pompeo said in his major India policy speech at the India Ideas Summit of US-India Business Council on Wednesday, 13 June.

Very much looking forward to his trip to New Delhi later this month, and meeting Modi, and his new counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Pompeo listed out some of the "big ideas and big opportunities" that can take the bilateral relationship to a new level.

Giving a sneak preview of his India mission, he said that he truly believes that the two nations have a unique opportunity to move forward together for the good of their peoples, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world.

Pompeo will travel to India, Sri Lanka, Japan and South Korea from 24-30 June. His four-nation is aimed at deepening US partnerships in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

'Not Surprised by Modi’s Win’

On PM Modi winning the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Pompeo said, “A few weeks ago 600 million Indians gave Modi a huge mandate. Not since 1971 has an Indian PM returned to the office with a single party majority, and to borrow a phrase he enjoyed an 'awful lot of' winning.”

Further, he mentioned that even though many observers were surprised to see the results, he was not.

“I had been watching closely with my team and we knew that PM is a new kind of leader. He's the son of a tea-seller who worked his way up, governing a state for 13 years and now leads one of the world's truly emerging powers,” he said.

Pompeo said that under President Donald Trump, the US has taken defence cooperation to newer heights, solidified their common vision for the Indo-Pacific and taken a far tougher stand on Pakistan's unacceptable support for terrorism.

Now the Trump and Modi Administrations have a “unique opportunity to take this special partnership even further.” Pompeo said that he has a strong partner in his new counterpart, Jaishankar, a former ambassador to the United States.

‘Building Stronger Relationships’

"He said in a speech in April that he's ready to cultivate warmer relations with America and the feeling is mutual. We want to move ahead," he said and enumerated how that can be done.

First, the two countries have to build ever-stronger relationships, he said.

“Forging strong ties means formalising these individual friendships. Last year, we kicked off the ‘2+2 dialogue’ alongside the Department of Defence. We’ve also reinvigorated the Quad Dialogue among India, the United States, Japan, and Australia all like-minded democracies in the Indo-Pacific. These are all good steps.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

India and the US, he said, must embrace the strategic framework that works for both the nations. "We respect India as a sovereign power, with its own unique politics and strategic challenges. We realise it's different to deal with the likes of China or Pakistan from across an ocean than across a border," he said.

Furthermore, Pompeo said that the US is open for a dialogue to settle trade differences with India. “It's a partnership of equals is how we see it. In my upcoming visit, we will probably discuss the GSP decision,” he added.

“We remain open to dialogue, and we hope that our friends in India will drop their trade barriers and trust in the competitiveness” of their own companies, Pompeo noted.

Making a strong case for a free and open Indo-Pacific, he said that it starts from the premise that the two share common values of democracy, freedom, and a belief in the ingenuity of the human spirit. "It's only natural that the world's most populous democracy should partner with the world's oldest democracy to maintain their shared vision for the Indo-Pacific."

‘We Have to Deliver’: Pompeo

"Third, we have to deliver," Pompeo said.

The Trump administration has already enabled American companies to export more high technology items to India, including cutting-edge defence platforms like armed UAVs and ballistic missile defence systems. "We've already launched the Asia-EDGE programme, to help India raise private capital to meet its energy security and access needs," he said.

"These are solid achievements, but we want to do much more. We clearly have overlapping interests in defence, energy, and space," said the top American diplomat.

Pompeo said that the first batch of India's Apache helicopters are coming off Boeing's production line in Arizona. Lockheed Martins F-21 and Boeing's F/A-18 are state-of-the-art fighters that could give India the capabilities it needs to become a full-fledged security provider in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

"On energy, we want to complete the Westinghouse civil nuclear project, and deliver more American LNG and crude," he said, adding that these steps will give Indians reliable and abundant energy and help reduce dependence on regimes like Iran and Venezuela.

On space, NASA is already working with the Indian Space Research Organisation on the world’s most advanced earth-observation satellite and India’s second lunar mission. But differences remain in some of the key trade and business issues, he acknowledged.

"But we remain open to dialogue and hope our Indian friends will drop their trade barriers and trust in the competitiveness of their exporters and private-sector companies," he said.

Pompeo said that the US will also push for the free flow of data across borders not just to help American companies but to protect data and ensure consumer privacy.

The US is eager to help India establish secure communications networks including 5G networks, he said.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)