New Delhi: The growing strategic partnership between India and America is no longer limited to just defense and trade, but both the countries have also come together to strengthen future technology and global supply chains. An important agreement regarding minerals and rare earth elements was signed between India and America in New Delhi on Tuesday. Making the announcement, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India and the US have signed a bilateral agreement to ensure the supply, mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earth elements.
The Foreign Minister said that this agreement will give a new direction to the technical and industrial cooperation between the two countries. These minerals are used on a large scale in electric vehicles, mobiles, chip manufacturing, defense equipment and modern technology. In such a situation, secure access to these resources is considered strategically important for any country. At the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described this agreement as a strong example of India-US relations.
Marco Rubio said that the interests of both the countries are related to the fact that the supply of resources necessary for the future economy should not depend on any one country or source. Rubio also said that modern technology-based economies will need secure and reliable supply chains for a long time. He indicated that this agreement is not limited to trade only, but it is also directly related to national security and global strategy.
What will be the benefit to India?
Through this agreement, India can get an opportunity to play a strong role in the global supply chain. This will give a boost to industries related to mining, processing and recycling in the country. Besides, the domestic manufacturing sector will also get new strength. Experts believe that the demand for electric vehicles and semiconductor industry will increase rapidly in the coming years. In such a situation, India can attract investment in this sector and new employment opportunities can also be created.
Quad countries also showed solidarity
Along with this important agreement, the meeting of the Quad group was also in discussion. Foreign ministers of India, America, Australia and Japan participated in this meeting held in New Delhi. In the meeting, special emphasis was laid on increasing maritime security and surveillance in the Indo-Pacific region. Quad countries announced new steps to strengthen port infrastructure in the region and better monitor maritime activities. It is believed that this step has been taken keeping in mind the increasing military activities of China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Special focus remained on Indo-Pacific region
After the meeting, Jaishankar said that the main focus of the discussion was issues related to the Indo-Pacific region. He said that the four democratic maritime countries shared their views regarding safe and uninterrupted maritime trade. He also reiterated that adherence to international laws and security of sea lanes are extremely important for global trade. According to Jaishankar, a free and open Indo-Pacific region is in the interest of all countries and the Quad is continuously working in this direction.
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