in its first reaction okus, New Partnership between Australia, the US and the UKIndia has made it clear that it does not welcome the announcement nor does it want to associate AUKUS with Indian interests. Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said that AUKUS, launched a week before the first in-person summit of the leaders of the Australia-India-Japan-US quadrangle, Will not affect plans to strengthen the quad. He called them two very different groups, describing AUKUS as a security alliance, indicating that security is not the main focus of the Quad. Rejecting criticism from China and Iran over plans within the partnership for the US and UK to develop nuclear-powered submarines for Australia, he said India does not see AUKUS as a form of nuclear proliferation. But New Delhi drew attention to protests from others, notably France, which has lost a lucrative submarine deal in the deal, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to reach out to their French counterparts. France has recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia, accused them of betrayal by negotiating their defense partnership with the UK and without informing European allies. The European Union and ASEAN countries have been kept safe in their response. US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have now spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron, but it remains to be seen whether the damage to ties can be repaired.
India’s non-committal note is not surprising, given the varied reactions and wide-ranging impact of the AUKUS partnership. It has two sides. The promising prospects of the alliance include strengthening the agenda of the Quad to keep the Indo-Pacific region free, open and inclusive. The alliance could also expand to enhance Quad’s efforts in maritime exercises, security and combating COVID-19, climate change, cooperation on critical technologies and building resilient supply chains. Broadly speaking, the US’s three-fold message on AUKUS appears to be in line with India’s expectations: “America is back” after four years of layoffs from global issues; It is as much associated with its Indo-Pacific flank as it is with its transatlantic flank, and is particularly focused on partnerships with fellow democracies. But the concerns about AUKUS are also substantial: the timing of the deal announcement just before the Quad leaders’ meeting could dominate the latter, and could also indicate the US is withdrawing the Quad over less important issues in the Indo-Pacific. Is. With the sudden announcement of AUKUS, there is concern for New Delhi that the US is now fostering a security partnership with its “Anglo-Saxon” treaty allies, which has excluded it, possibly from power in the region. Upsetting the balance, and shutting down. New tensions in India’s east, adding to the substantial unrest in India’s west due to the development of Afghanistan.
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