India 2018

India and the World 325
with Western European countries. Progress was made on collaboration with
various countries in Make In India, smart cities, Skill India, Clean India and
railway modernization programmes. There was greater cooperation between
India and Western European countries on fighting international terrorism.
The Americas
United States: India and the United States continued their intensive
engagement, as strategic partners, in a broad range of sectors including defence,
security and counter-terrorism, civil nuclear cooperation, trade and investment,
science and technology, energy, health, education and people-to-people ties.
Summit-level interactions continued to lend momentum to bilateral ties. 70
years of diplomatic relations between India and the United States, the countries
resolved to expand and deepen the strategic partnership between the countries
and advance common objectives including combatting terrorist threats,
promoting stability across the Indo-Pacific region, increasing free and fair trade,
and strengthening energy linkages.
There were also regular exchanges on bilateral, regional and global issues.
These included strategic security dialogue, maritime security dialogue, policy
planning dialogue, India-US-Afghanistan trilateral dialogue and India-US-
Japan trilateral dialogue. defence and security cooperation was a key component
of the bilateral strategic engagement during this period. The signing of Logistics
Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA); recognition of India as a
Major Defence Partner of the US; and the Understanding reached regarding
US export control policy towards India in recognition of India as a "Major
Defense Partner" of the US were some of the major achievements in the bilateral
defence partnership. The United States continued to be a major destination for
India's exports of goods and services.
Disarmament and International Security Affairs
fairs
In 2016-17, India continued to play an active role in various multilateral forums
on disarmament and international security affairs in pursuance of its
commitment to the goal of universal and non-discriminatory nuclear
disarmament as well as general and complete disarmament. India's stand on
disarmament issues was guided by India's national security interests and its
tradition of close engagement with the international community to promote
cooperative efforts in dealing with these challenges. India participated actively
in the meetings of the UN First Committee, UN Disarmament Commission,
Conference on Disarmament, Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention
(BTWC), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons (CCW) and UN Programme of Action on Small Arms
and Light Weapons (UNPoA on SALW).
Multilateral Economic Relations
As the BRICS Chair in 2016, India hosted the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa. The
agenda included global political situation and terrorism, global economic