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India, US agree on end user monitoring pact
fullstory
STAFF WRITER 22:38 HRS IST, PTI
New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) India and US today said they have finally reached an understanding on the End-User Verification Agreement (EUVA), which gives rights to Washington experts to inspect hi-tech military hardware sold to New Delhi.
"We have shown progress also by finalising important agreements today including the end user agreement that will pave the way for greater defence cooperation between our countries," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a joint press conference with Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here this evening.
In his remarks, Krishna said the two countries have agreed on EUVA that would henceforth be referred to in the letters of acceptance in procurement of defence equipment and technologies.
Once signed, the generic EUVA would be applicable to all future defence equipment purchases that India would make from the US.
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End user agreement: Fresh ammo for BJP to attack govt
End user agreement: Fresh ammo for BJP to attack govt - India - NEWS - The Times of India
TNN 22 July 2009, 04:22am IST
NEW DELHI: BJP which was on the backfoot since its Lok Sabha defeat has swiftly latched on to faltering foreign policy issues flung its way by the UPA government over the last 10 days.
On Tuesday, it went on the offensive on the End-Use Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) with the US, which generated heat both in Parliament and outside, accusing the government of surrendering its sovereignty. It has also listed three other major areas on which India has given in to either the US or Pakistan — allowing Balochistan to be included in the joint statement with Pakistan, delinking terror from the composite dialogue process with Pakistan and the concessions India made to the US on climate change.
By his own admission, party's Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, on Tuesday said that it usually takes some months after the elections for government to come under scrutiny but this time it has taken just a few weeks. "With 206 seats in Lok Sabha, Congress and the government seem to feel that they can do whatever they like," Jaitley said, while addressing a party gathering at the Delhi BJP office.
Raising the issue both in Rajya Sabha and at the party function, he cited the EUMA, Balochistan, delinking terror from the composite dialogue with Pakistan and climate change where India has negated the basic red lines that it had earlier decided never to go below.
In Lok Sabha too, the EUMA issue was first raised by BJP MP Yashwant Sinha and later dealt with by Leader of Opposition L K Advani.
Interestingly, BJP found itself leading the band of protestors in both Houses which included all parties outside of the ruling UPA and even some which are part of the combine.
Samajwadi Party also chose this issue to signal its growing distance from the Congress. While party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav asked in the Lok Sabha on Monday why the government had gone back on its earlier position in the joint statement with Pakistan and agreed to delink terror from the composite dialogue process, on Tuesday he told the House, "Parliament is a mirror to the nation and the public wants to know why India has succumbed to the US. This (EUMA) is a move against the nation's interest."
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UPA hiding details of the deal with US: Oppn
Govt draws flak over end-user agreement
Govt draws flak over end-user agreement
New Delhi, DH News Service:
More than 24 hours after announcing the finalisation of the end user monitoring agreement (EUMA) with the USA for military purchase, the Centre has not disclosed the terms and conditions of the contentious pact in the Parliament.
This prompted the opposition to put the government on the mat in both Houses.
While Defence Minister A K Antony and South Block officials refused to comment on the EUMA, a statement made by the External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in the Parliament did not say whether India will allow on-site physical verification of US-origin weapon platforms and if US can dictate terms on where to deploy these military platforms.
Krishna said EUMA systemised the ad hoc arrangements made for individual defence procurements from the USA entered into by previous governments.
The response did not satisfy BJP and the Left parties who staged a walk-out in both Houses marking their protests.
In the last seven years India signed at least five EUMA with the USA on a case- by-case basis beginning with the NDA government’s decision to purchase 12 ANTPQ weapon locating radar made by Raytheon in 2002. In the subsequent years, New Delhi bought critical technologies like landing platform dock USS Trenton, three VIP jets from Boeing with self-protection suits, six 130J heavy lift Hercules transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin and eight P8I Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft from Boeing in 2009. In each case, there was an EUMA. The first four come under the department of defence’s Golden Sentry EUMA programme applicable for government-to-government direct foreign military sale.
The Poseidon deal fits under the department of state’s Blue Lantern class of EUMA involving direct commercial sales.
Originating from the Arms Export Control Act, both EUMA come with stringent conditions that may lead to a shift in the foreign policy of the buyer nation. Giving India’s past experience with the USA, a large section of Indian political class is not comfortable with EUMA, which may lead to that foreign policy shift in future.
The EUMA conditions also include prior US permission to laterally transfer equipment to another service – from Army to the Navy or Border Security Force for example – and opening up the military base to foreign inspectors.
It entails snap inspection on the basis of what the USA believes are “credible reports” (typically intelligence inputs) on the alleged misuse of a platform and constant endeavour on the part of the buying nation to show it is worthy of the US trust.
In the Lok Sabha BJP leader Yashwant Sinha wanted to know if military equipment from a third country having US equipment would also be subject to the EUMA.
Demanding more clarification on the controversial agreement, which UPA-I could not sign due to the Left pressure, BJP, Left, SP, JD(U) and even UPA ally RJD accused the government for subjugating India’s sovereign interests to the USA.
South Block sources said the initial draft to have an umbrella-type EUMA instead of individual contracts was drafted by the ministry of defence. It appears significant changes were incorporated in the text subsequently. Krishna and secretary of state Hillary Clinton did not sign the pact. But the formal announcement means the text has been frozen and it will be signed at a later stage.
fullstory
STAFF WRITER 22:38 HRS IST, PTI
New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) India and US today said they have finally reached an understanding on the End-User Verification Agreement (EUVA), which gives rights to Washington experts to inspect hi-tech military hardware sold to New Delhi.
"We have shown progress also by finalising important agreements today including the end user agreement that will pave the way for greater defence cooperation between our countries," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a joint press conference with Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here this evening.
In his remarks, Krishna said the two countries have agreed on EUVA that would henceforth be referred to in the letters of acceptance in procurement of defence equipment and technologies.
Once signed, the generic EUVA would be applicable to all future defence equipment purchases that India would make from the US.
----------------------------------
End user agreement: Fresh ammo for BJP to attack govt
End user agreement: Fresh ammo for BJP to attack govt - India - NEWS - The Times of India
TNN 22 July 2009, 04:22am IST
NEW DELHI: BJP which was on the backfoot since its Lok Sabha defeat has swiftly latched on to faltering foreign policy issues flung its way by the UPA government over the last 10 days.
On Tuesday, it went on the offensive on the End-Use Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) with the US, which generated heat both in Parliament and outside, accusing the government of surrendering its sovereignty. It has also listed three other major areas on which India has given in to either the US or Pakistan — allowing Balochistan to be included in the joint statement with Pakistan, delinking terror from the composite dialogue process with Pakistan and the concessions India made to the US on climate change.
By his own admission, party's Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, on Tuesday said that it usually takes some months after the elections for government to come under scrutiny but this time it has taken just a few weeks. "With 206 seats in Lok Sabha, Congress and the government seem to feel that they can do whatever they like," Jaitley said, while addressing a party gathering at the Delhi BJP office.
Raising the issue both in Rajya Sabha and at the party function, he cited the EUMA, Balochistan, delinking terror from the composite dialogue with Pakistan and climate change where India has negated the basic red lines that it had earlier decided never to go below.
In Lok Sabha too, the EUMA issue was first raised by BJP MP Yashwant Sinha and later dealt with by Leader of Opposition L K Advani.
Interestingly, BJP found itself leading the band of protestors in both Houses which included all parties outside of the ruling UPA and even some which are part of the combine.
Samajwadi Party also chose this issue to signal its growing distance from the Congress. While party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav asked in the Lok Sabha on Monday why the government had gone back on its earlier position in the joint statement with Pakistan and agreed to delink terror from the composite dialogue process, on Tuesday he told the House, "Parliament is a mirror to the nation and the public wants to know why India has succumbed to the US. This (EUMA) is a move against the nation's interest."
--------------------------
UPA hiding details of the deal with US: Oppn
Govt draws flak over end-user agreement
Govt draws flak over end-user agreement
New Delhi, DH News Service:
More than 24 hours after announcing the finalisation of the end user monitoring agreement (EUMA) with the USA for military purchase, the Centre has not disclosed the terms and conditions of the contentious pact in the Parliament.
This prompted the opposition to put the government on the mat in both Houses.
While Defence Minister A K Antony and South Block officials refused to comment on the EUMA, a statement made by the External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in the Parliament did not say whether India will allow on-site physical verification of US-origin weapon platforms and if US can dictate terms on where to deploy these military platforms.
Krishna said EUMA systemised the ad hoc arrangements made for individual defence procurements from the USA entered into by previous governments.
The response did not satisfy BJP and the Left parties who staged a walk-out in both Houses marking their protests.
In the last seven years India signed at least five EUMA with the USA on a case- by-case basis beginning with the NDA government’s decision to purchase 12 ANTPQ weapon locating radar made by Raytheon in 2002. In the subsequent years, New Delhi bought critical technologies like landing platform dock USS Trenton, three VIP jets from Boeing with self-protection suits, six 130J heavy lift Hercules transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin and eight P8I Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft from Boeing in 2009. In each case, there was an EUMA. The first four come under the department of defence’s Golden Sentry EUMA programme applicable for government-to-government direct foreign military sale.
The Poseidon deal fits under the department of state’s Blue Lantern class of EUMA involving direct commercial sales.
Originating from the Arms Export Control Act, both EUMA come with stringent conditions that may lead to a shift in the foreign policy of the buyer nation. Giving India’s past experience with the USA, a large section of Indian political class is not comfortable with EUMA, which may lead to that foreign policy shift in future.
The EUMA conditions also include prior US permission to laterally transfer equipment to another service – from Army to the Navy or Border Security Force for example – and opening up the military base to foreign inspectors.
It entails snap inspection on the basis of what the USA believes are “credible reports” (typically intelligence inputs) on the alleged misuse of a platform and constant endeavour on the part of the buying nation to show it is worthy of the US trust.
In the Lok Sabha BJP leader Yashwant Sinha wanted to know if military equipment from a third country having US equipment would also be subject to the EUMA.
Demanding more clarification on the controversial agreement, which UPA-I could not sign due to the Left pressure, BJP, Left, SP, JD(U) and even UPA ally RJD accused the government for subjugating India’s sovereign interests to the USA.
South Block sources said the initial draft to have an umbrella-type EUMA instead of individual contracts was drafted by the ministry of defence. It appears significant changes were incorporated in the text subsequently. Krishna and secretary of state Hillary Clinton did not sign the pact. But the formal announcement means the text has been frozen and it will be signed at a later stage.