US to remove CAATSA sanctions against India

The US Congress has decided to remove sanctions between US-India partnership.

The conference committe of the House and the Senate on Monday agreed on the final version of an annual defence policy bill which would amend the Countring America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The sanctions had been threatening uncertaininty for India-US relations.

After the removal of the sanctionsIndia, Indonesia and Vietnam can continue buying Russian military equipment.

The move has come days after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Friday in support of waivers for sanctions being imposed against nations buying military gear from Russia.

The proposal to lift the sanctions came amid concerns that imposing sanctions, particularly in the case of India and other Asian allies, could threaten friendly relationships that the US has been working to bolster in recent years.

Last year, US lawmakers, seeking to punish Russia for its efforts to undermine Western democracy, passed the Counter America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA.

Under CAATSA, any entity doing business with Russia's state, semi-state and private defense and intelligence sectors could face economic sanctions.

Appropriate CAATSA waivers allow "nations to build a closer security relationship with the US as they continue to transition from reliance on Russian military equipment," said Mattis, who visited India last year.

India has increasingly turned to the US and France for arms purchases but is still reliant on Russian hardware and expertise to maintain its existing arsenal.

(With inputs from AFP)