Indo-US talks make no headway

BONN, Nov 20 (PTI) — India and the USA today failed to achieve any breakthrough in narrowing down their differences on disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation with New Delhi asserting that there was no change in its stand on the CTBT issue.

During the two-day talks in Rome held as part of the ongoing bilateral dialogue on nuclear issue, the US delegation led by the Deputy Secretary of State, Mr Strobe Talbott was categorically told that there was no change in India’s stand on the CTBT as reflected by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s commitment for speedy conclusion of discussions towards signing the treaty.

The Prime Minister’s special envoy, Mr Jaswant Singh, heading the Indian delegation, made New Delhi’s position clear on the issue when American side enquired as to what was his government’s latest position on signing the CTBT, official sources said over the phone from the Italian capital.

The sources indicated that there was no fresh pressure from the USA for signing the CTBT after it partially lifted sanctions against India.

During the talks, which lasted for eight hours spread over two days in a downtown hotel in Rome, the Indian side voiced concern over Washington’s decision to place on its entities list over 200 Indian private and public companies which will be subjected to export restrictions and embargoes and denied access to international financial institutions.

India conveyed to the USA its concern over Washington’s decision to place on its entities list over 200 Indian private and public companies which will be subjected to export restrictions and embargoes and denied access to international financial institutions.

New Delhi’s protest was put forth by Prime Minister’s special emissary Jaswant Singh during his two-day parleys with US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott which ended in Rome this afternoon.

A joint statement issued at the conclusion of the seventh round said, "the American delegation described the circumstances that will enable the two countries to transcend such difficulties as currently exist’’.

The next round of Jaswant Singh-Talbott talks will be held in New Delhi in January.

The statement said the two sides reviewed issues related to disarmament, non-proliferation, bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments.

The two sides also discussed an extensive report on the recent meeting in Delhi of experts from both countries on export controls. "Those talks were deemed helpful to the prospect of continuing cooperation in this area’’, the statement said.

The statement said both sides found the parleys constructive and "judge that they will contribute to an atmosphere that will facilitate further progress in establishing the positive environment both seek’’.

Both countries continued their tough negotiations on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in the backdrop of the recent partial lifting of American sanctions against New Delhi and Islamabad.

The meeting was held in a downtown hotel in the Italian capital.

With the negotiations entering the tough phase as described by diplomatic observers, Foreign Secretary K. Raghunath also joined the Indian delegation. Raghunath had been part of the ongoing dialogue only once before.

The two delegations once met at an undisclosed venue in Frankfurt for two days on July 9.

The Indian team included the Ambassador to the USA Naresh Chandra, Joint Secretary (Americas) in the External Affairs Ministry Aloke Prasad and Joint Secretary (Disarmament) Rakesh Sood.

The US team included Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth and a member of the American National Security Council Bruce Riedel.

The Clinton Administration, while taking note of the progress in the ongoing US dialogue with India and Pakistan had said recently that ‘more progress’ needs to be made and that ‘many important steps’ should be taken.

India may get $ 3.5 billion IDA loan

WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (UNI) — India may get about $ 3.5 billion in a new funding of $ 20.5 billion sanctioned by 39 donor countries for the International Development Association (IDA), the concessionary lending agency of the World Bank, for a period of three years, beginning from July 1, 1999.

Representatives of the donors, who met in Copenhagen (Denmark) yesterday, endorsed the twelfth replenishment of the IDA, the main source of funding for the poor countries.

In the IDA-11, India’s share was about $ 3.2 billion in three years, ending on June 30 last. Indications are that India’s share in the IDA-12 would be more than the previous one, reaching about $ 3.5 billion, according to World Bank officials.

Since the IDA funding is for schemes falling under the category of basic human needs, it will not come under the economic sanctions that the USA had imposed on India after its nuclear tests in May. The sanctions apply to non-basic human needs projects, according to officials.

New contributions from the donor countries to this package will total $ 11.6 billion, with rest coming mainly from repayments of earlier IDA credits and contributions from the World Bank.

"Despite the global financial crisis, the agreement shows support to the poorest countries in the world is on the rebound," said the World Bank’s Managing Directors Sven Sandstroem.

Mr Sandstroem, who had chaired the IDA negotiations over the past nine months, told newspersons that a large share of the credits would be used for social spending, including health and education, particularly to girl education.

The IDA was established in 1960 to provide assistance to poorer developing countries. It is the main source of development financing for the world’s poorest countries.

Donors include Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the USA and the UK.

IDA credits have maturities of 35 to 40 years with a 10 year grace period on repayment of the principal amount. There is no interest charge but credits do carry a small service charge, currently 0.75 per cent.