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Wednesday's global agenda: Welcome mat for India
Your morning global affairs speed-read
The United States and India launch the third annual meeting of their strategic dialogue in Washington today, following Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta's visit to New Delhi last week.
Wednesday's talks are expected to “further augment bilateral military ties through arms sales, collaborative defence research and weapons development programmes and joint manoeuvres,” the BBC reports. During his visit, Panetta called India a “linchpin” in the Obama administration's pivot to Asia.
Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), the co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, welcomed the dialogue in a statement.
"This third Strategic Dialogue reminds us of the deep ties that bind the U.S. and India,” he said. “There is much work to be done to ensure that the U.S. and India are moving forward together. We can't take progress for granted.”
Round 2: President Obama's choice for ambassador to El Salvador, Mari Carmen Aponte, could get a second up-or-down confirmation vote on the Senate floor today. Check back with Global Affairs shortly for more on that story.
Under the influence: GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is being lobbied hard by former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) on behalf of the diplomatic mission of Taiwan to the United States, the Sunlight Foundation reports.
In other news:
A coordinated series of attacks struck Shiite Muslims in Baghdad on Wednesday morning, killing at least 50 people. [The New York Times]
Delays are imperiling the mining riches Afghans need after the U.S. pullout. [The Wall Street Journal]
Vehicles that could be used for transporting and launching missiles were reportedly exported to North Korea by a Chinese company in possible violation of United Nations trade restrictions on weapons technology. [Associated Press]
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