INVC NEWS
Washington, D.C.: Senior U.S. lawmaker Mark Warner has announced his plans to introduce a bill that would include India in ‘NATO Plus,’ a security arrangement aimed at enhancing defense and intelligence cooperation among NATO and five partner nations. The move aims to streamline the transfer of top U.S. technology and defense equipment to India, in response to increasing challenges posed by China.
‘NATO Plus’ currently includes five alliance nations: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea. The proposed bill, co-sponsored by Senator John Cornyn, the co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, seeks to expedite defense ties between India and the United States.
Warner stated, “What we are proposing is aimed at getting India into the so-called NATO Plus 5 arrangement, which would enable the U.S. to supply defense equipment to New Delhi with little bureaucratic interference.” As co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, Warner and Cornyn are leading efforts to promote stronger relations between the two countries. The Senate India Caucus is the only country-specific parliamentary caucus in the U.S. Senate.
The bill will be introduced both as a standalone bill and as an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act, emphasizing the importance of accelerating defense cooperation between India and the United States. By including India in ‘NATO Plus,’ the legislation aims to facilitate smoother and more efficient defense collaboration by reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
