WASHINGTON, June 29: The United States and India have signed a 10-year agreement to strengthen defence ties between the two countries. The landmark agreement will help facilitate joint weapons production, co-operation on missile defence and the transfer of technology.

The agreement came after intense negotiations hours before the formal meeting of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his US counterpart Donald Rumsfeld. The agreement formalizes the different strands of the defence relationship which has grown faster than other parts of the bilateral relations.

“The United States and India have entered a new era,” said a joint statement issued after the signing of the agreement in Washington. “We are transforming our relationship to reflect our common principles and shared national interests.”

The statement said that the two nations had advanced to ‘unprecedented” levels of cooperation. “Today, we agree on a new framework that builds on past successes, seizes new opportunities and charts a course for the US-India defence relationship for the next 10 years,” it added. After singing the pact, Mr Mukherjee declared his first visit to the US since assuming power ‘successful’. He said the agreement also covers interests of both countries — American interests in joint operations and Indian desire for high technology.

The agreement promises to expand ‘two-way defence trade’, not only for weapons sales but for strengthening India’s security and opens new venues for technology transfer, joint research and even expanding collaboration in missile defence.

One of the most interesting aspects is India dropping its demand for a UN cover for joint military operations. The two defence establishments will “collaborate in multinational operations when it is in their common interest.”