India and the USA on Monday jointly announced a series of initiatives designed to build a long-term knowledge-driven partnership between the two countries.
Speaking to reporters at a joint press conference with President George W. Bush at the White House on Monday morning, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “The joint statement that we have agreed upon lays out the full potential of our multifaceted cooperation.”
“Our partnership is one between rigorous and vibrant democracies, and we have agreed today to give expression to our shared values in a variety of ways,” Dr Manmohan Singh said.
On the question of removal of restrictions on nuclear and high technology supplies to India, Dr Manmohan Singh said the issue had been addressed in the joint statement in a “manner which gives me great satisfaction.”
He thanked the President “for his personal role and interest in facilitating a solution to this complex problem.”
The USA and India on Monday announced the completion of phase two of the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP). The successful completion of this initiative clears the way for even greater engagement in a number of key areas in which cooperation has previously been limited or non-existent.
The NSSP, announced in January, 2004, was designed to increase cooperation in civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programme, high-technology trade and missile defence. The completion of the NSSP will enable the USA to expand the scope of bilateral commercial satellite cooperation, remove US export licence requirements for unilaterally controlled nuclear items to most end users, and revise export licence requirements for certain items going to safeguarded civil nuclear power facilities.
Recognising that the combined efforts of the USA and India significantly enhanced the world’s response to the tsunami disaster of December 26, 2004, Mr Bush and Dr Singh announced the launch of the US-India Disaster Relief Initiative (DRI) to contribute to disaster preparedness and future relief operations.
The DRI will build upon the existent, strong civilian relationship between the two governments in disaster relief, involving the US Agency for International Development and the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs. Through the DRI, the USA and India seek to increase their ability to respond to disasters in an integrated fashion, partnering with other US, Indian and United Nations agencies, as well as international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other governments as appropriate.
The USA and India will continue to work together with the regional community on the development and implementation of early warning system programme.
As mandated by the New Framework for the US-India Defence Relationship, the USA and India will strengthen their military capabilities to respond effectively to future disasters by conducting joint and combined military exercises. U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) and the Indian Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) will be the respective military leads in each country to establish a dialogue and identify additional military training needs, skills-development requirements, and other challenges to a speedy and effective disaster response.
As part of the DRI, the USA and India agreed to cooperate to help build disaster response capabilities in other countries.
US Ambassador Robert Portman and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath announce the establishment of a new consultative mechanism called “The United States-India Trade Policy Forum,” to be chaired by themselves or their deputies. The Forum will be part of the overall United States-India Economic Dialogue, replacing the Trade Policy Working Group pillar.
The agenda could cover the following subjects: tariff and non-tariff trade barriers; foreign direct investment; subsidies; customs procedures; standards, testing, labeling and certification intellectual property rights protection; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; government procurement; and services. It also offers the opportunity for our governments to work together bilaterally toward a successful outcome of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations
The launch of the United States-India Information and Communications Technology Working Group recognises the impact that this sector has on the future of our bilateral economic partnership, the State Department said in a statement.
