NEW DELHI, April 25 (UPI) -- U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Gary Roughead will be in India next week to discuss the Indo-U.S. Maritime Cooperation Framework.
The Indian Express newspaper said Tuesday the admiral will discuss the details of the framework with senior Indian Navy officials. His will be one of three high-level visits by U.S. four-star officers within the next month.
"The agreement is crucial as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George W. Bush had agreed to conclude the MCF in their joint statement made during the latter's visit to India early March," said an Indian Defense Ministry spokesman.
The Maritime Cooperation Framework principally provides for joint Indo-U.S. maritime operations, the spokesman said, including the joint-patrolling of energy trade routes including the Straits of Malacca, anti-piracy and other transnational crimes at sea, search and rescue operations, anti-pollution at sea and rescue and relief during natural disasters.
Washington is keen to get India on board for energy security in the region, and sees the Navy's growth in capability as an adjunct to its own swelling operational commitments in South Asian waters.
Both sides see such the Framework as a logical conclusion to the escort assistance provided by the Indian Navy to U.S. merchant vessels passing through the Straits of Malacca after the Sept. 11 attacks.
"The MCF would address emergent threats and enhance cooperative capabilities including through logistics support," said a joint statement, adding "as part of the MCF, the two sides also agreed to conclude a mutual logistics support agreement that would allow each side to use maintenance, berthing and support services of the other side during deployments."
