New Delhi
14 July 2009
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can be expected to share
Washington's road map for "US -- India 3.0" in bilateral relations during her five-day visit
to India from July 17 to 21.
Clinton was expected to fly in to Mumbai on Friday. She will reach New Delhi on July 19
for talks with a cross-section of Indian leaders and officials. Her visit was likely to pave
the way for President Barack Obama's visit to India next year.
Indications were that Clinton's visit will produce a modest outcome, but it would serve to
start a strategic dialogue which will include issues such as climate change and clean
energy.
An agreement on the setting up of an India -- US Science and Technology Endowment
Fund was expected to be inked on the occasion. Both sides have made considerable
progress on negotiating a Technology Safeguards Agreement but it was not certain if the
document would be ready for signature, although US Under-secretary of State for
Political Affairs William Burns said here last month that he did not "foresee any
stumbling block" for its early signing.
The fate of an end-user verification agreement to validate military and other high-
technology sales to India remained uncertain, too.
Besides regional and global issues, both sides would take stock of the implementation
of the nuclear deal. Washington would be looking forward to hear from New Delhi about
two new sites where US-built nuclear reactors will be located.
Enrichment and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel was also expected to figure in the
talks. Washington has proposed to begin negotiations with New Delhi on reprocessing of
spent nuclear fuel before the end of July.
The new US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer was expected to arrive here soon,
coinciding with Clinton's visit.
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