New Delhi
27 February 2006
Scaling down the expectations from United States President George
W Bush's visit to India, Washington has indicated that while negotiations were on to
implement what has been set out in the 18 July 2005 Joint Statement, there were certain
issues that still needed to be settled insofar as the proposed civil nuclear energy
cooperation goes.
Sources said the "complicated" negotiations could extend beyond the US President's
visit if both sides did not seal the deal before Mr Bush shook hands with Prime Minister
Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. The visit, they said, was always about a
"comprehensive relationship" and suggested that the nuclear issue might not be the
centrepiece of the four-day visit.
Referring to the complexities inherent in the proposed India-US civilian nuclear
cooperation like the global architecture, non-proliferation and breaking new ground for
India, the sources said an "exception has been made [for India]" and this, they
explained, was not easy. "It will take time [but] if we do not succeed, we will continue
discussions afterwards," they added.
On Jammu and Kashmir, it was clarified that there was no change in the US policy
towards the emerging relationship between India and Pakistan and that Washington was
playing a referee. "It is still the same. [It is hoped] that there will be support of all parties
to make progress in the peace initiative and for confidence building measures and for
the ultimate resolution," it was said.
The sources shrugged off queries about the number of agreements both sides were
expected to sign saying that it was "not exactly a way to measure" the success, or
otherwise, of Mr Bush's visit. Trade and investment, science and technology, health,
education space and military cooperation would rank high on Mr Bush's priority. "That's
the theme," they said.
"This is not a one-off visit [but] part of a long term strategic relationship [for] very
substantive development of the full spectrum [of relations] The visit comes at a very
special time [as] India is now a hugely visible idea in the US. Image of India has
radically shifted in recent years and the [belief is] what's good for India is good for the
US too," they asserted.
An agreement on space cooperation was "moving along well", it was asserted, referring
to the the partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). On the India-US Global Democracy
Initiative, they said Nepal was a key area of cooperation while Myanmar was on the
agenda of both the countries.
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