New Delhi
20 July 2009
President Barack Obama of the United States and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will
embark on "a third and transformative phase" of the India - US relationship when they meet in
Washington later this year. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton handed over Obama's letter to
Prime Minister Singh, inviting him for a State visit to the US on November 24.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Minister of External Affairs SM Krishna, Clinton said
here Monday that the invitation to Dr Singh, who will be the first foreign leader to pay a State
visit to US in Obama's presidency, demonstrated very clearly the significance and importance
of US' relations with India.
"At a time when the headlines are filled with challenges the relationship between US and India is
a good news story. In our new administration it's going to get even better," Clinton gushed,
seeking to dispel an impression in some quarters that the Obama Administration might be
pursuing a pro-China and pro-Pakistan tilt in its foreign policy.
Clinton insisted that the Obama Administration will maintain the positive relations developed by
former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush. "I pledge pledge more than that ... [we
will] broaden and deepen it," she emphasised.
India and the US concluded a Science and Technology Endowment Agreement, and signed a
Technology Safeguards Agreement that will permit the launch of civil or non-commercial
satellites containing US components on Indian space launch vehicles. Both sides also reached
agreement on end-use monitoring for US defence articles.
The end-use monitoring arrangement would provide safeguards for the sale of highly
sophisticated US technology to India. It will also pave the way for greater defence cooperation.
Clinton also said Prime Minister Singh had told her that nuclear parks in India had been
approved for US companies to set up nuclear power plants.
Clinton said the agreements on technology safeguards and end-use monitoring showed that the
peoples of India and the US shared a common trait: "We want to roll up our sleeves and get
things done."
She suggested that her discussions with Mr Krishna were a productive precursor to the new
strategic dialogue that will be set in motion as part of the new agenda of India - US 3.0 bilateral
ties. She hoped both sides could take pragmatic approaches to climate change by narrowing
their disagreements, and also take practical steps towards disarmament and non-proliferation.
In response to a question, Clinton said the US would not oppose the transfer of enrichment and
reprocessing technologies (ENR) to India.
"We have just completed a civil nuclear deal with India. So if it is done within the appropriate
channels and carefully safeguarded, as it is in the case of India, that is appropriate but we are
very much opposed to unauthorised and inappropriate transfers that unfortunately can take
place by certain countries or non-state actors doing so," she said by way of explanation.
"So there is a right way to do it and there is a very wrong way to do it. We are seeking advice
and suggestions from India about how we can prevent the unauthorised and dangerous transfer
of nuclear technology and material which poses a threat to the entire world," Clinton added.
Amid the euphoria of a transformed relationship, what went unnoticed was that while Clinton
managed to extract a pledge from India on preventing Iran from going nuclear, she did not
reciprocate by fully acknowledging Indian concerns on the terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
Washington only reaffirmed its the commitment to build on recent increased coordination in
counter-terrorism with India but in response to q question, she asserted that a significant
number of those responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York were located in the
border area of Pakistan and that it had been conveyed to the Government of Pakistan and
others.
"[Our] policy [on Iran] is in sync," Clinton said, adding that Prime Minister Singh has said that
India would not like to see another nuclear-armed country in her neighbourhood. Clinton also
said that she would be exploring India's approach to Iran in future discussions, and suggested
that "any advice" that India may want to contribute towards overcoming the dangers posed by a nuclear Iran would be welcome.
For his part, Mr Krishna said Clinton was no stranger to India and her abiding interest and
commitment to India has helped shape the US policy of closer engagement with India. They
discussed a comprehensive agenda of issues that underlined what he called the global
dimension of the India - US partnership.
Krishna said he held a useful discussion with Clinton on the situation in India's immediate
neighbourhood. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to resist the threats to their
democracies from terrorism.
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