and security cooperation with India, requests that the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State jointly take such actions as may be necessary to recognize India’s status as a major defense partner of the United States, consistent with the June 7, 2016, India-United States Joint Statement. (6) On July 30, 2018, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that India, because of its status as a major defense partner, would be moved to the Department of Commerce’s Strategic Trade Authorization Tier 1 license designation list which enables greater availability for exports and reexports to, and transfers within, India for articles under the Export Administration Regulations. In its final rule issued on August 3, 2018, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security stated that the rule, which enabled India to be moved to the Tier 1 list, befits India’s status as a Major Defense Partner . (7) The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 ( Public Law 115–409 ) recognizes the vital role of the strategic partnership between the United States and India , and finds that the designation of India as a major defense partner elevates defense trade and technology cooperation between the United States and India to a level commensurate with the closest allies and partners of the United States . 3. Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States to— (1) approve and facilitate the transfer of advanced technology and strategic capability, consistent with United States conventional arms transfer policy, to support combined military planning with India for missions such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter piracy, freedom of navigation, and maritime domain awareness missions, and to promote weapons systems interoperability