M A I N   N E W S

PM’s US visit from July 18 to 20
Bush may offer dual-use technology
Rajeev Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 3
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will embark on a crucial bilateral visit to the United States from July 18 to 20 during which the two countries are expected to cross the Rubicon in the chequered history of their relations in more ways than one.

The Ministry of External Affairs today announced the Prime Minister’s US visit in a single-paragraph statement which said: “At the invitation of President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit the United States from July 18 to 20, 2005. India and the United States are jointly engaged in the process of widening and deepening their multi-faceted cooperative relationship. The forthcoming visit of the Prime Minister to USA will take this process further based on a shared vision of the leaders of the two democracies.”

Washington is likely to make some never-before concessions to India during Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit in the fields of energy, dual-use technology, space and high-end technology. The biggest surprise may be in the form of India getting access to American technology in civilian nuclear field.

Though the supply of an American nuclear reactor to India may still be a dream, the Bush administration is expected to loosen its political and diplomatic grip over the tightly-held technology in above-mentioned spheres a month and a half later. In view of the enhanced strategic importance of India in the American scheme of things — using India as a counter to a fast-emerging super-power China — the Bush administration will not be averse to bend or bypass its domestic legislations to enable India meet its nuclear energy requirements. Under the existing US laws, Washington cannot cooperate with any country in the field of civilian nuclear technology which has not signed the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Indo-US relations are expected to be taken to the next level if Washington delivers dual-use technology to India, particularly in the field of civilian nuclear application. Even the more than one-year-old Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) between India and the US will be surpassed if Washington allows access to India for fuel for nuclear power plants and shares civilian nuclear technology for energy purposes.

Diplomatic sources here said the Indian case would be premised on India being pushed to the brink for meeting its fast-expanding energy requirements. Moreover, the US has been dissuading India from seeking Iranian help in meeting its energy requirements. Washington is also dismissive of fossilised fuel like coal for environmental reasons.

Against this backdrop, the US has to wink at some of its own laws if India is to do all this. Indian atomic power plants are facing closure because of depletion of fuel and India’s inability to procure this fuel from the international community because of post Pokhran-II sanctions.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Bush are expected to announce major measures for cooperation in the field of energy. At least one round of the recently-announced Indo-US Energy Dialogue is expected to be held before the PM-Bush meeting.