NEW DELHI – A key bill to accord ‘real teeth’ to India’s recentlydesignated status as a ‘major defence partner’ and grant it the same accessto defence purchases as America’s closest military allies such as NATOmembers, Israel, Australia and a few others, passed a crucial stage in theUS Congress on Wednesday.

The legislative measure was moved by Eliot Engel, the senior-most Democraton the foreign affairs committee of the House of Representatives as anamendment to the International; Security Assistance Act 2018, which was aamong bunch of bills reported to the full House in a process called markup, Hindustan Times has reported.

“The bill adds real teeth to the designation (of India as a major defensepartner) at a time when our relationship with India is more important thanever,” said Ami Bera, Indian American Democratic Congressman, in remarkssupporting Engels amendment. But Bera also expressed concern at the lack ofprogress on the issue since the first move, the designation, in 2015 andits subsequent codification into law in 2017.

The next stage in the legislative process is a vote on the floor, which,according to officials, was a decision for the Republican leadership totake. There have been missed opportunities in the past despite bipartisansupport for India, as recently as last month when a similar measure hadfailed for unrelated reasons.

The amending bill requires the President to add a country designated as a‘major defense partner’, which is India as no other country has beenaccorded that status by the US yet, to a list of countries afforded speedyclearance of certain defense purchases under the Arms Export Control Act bythe state department.

That list specifically and only includes member countries of NATO,Australia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and New Zealand.