NEW DELHI, 14 January 2004 — The United States and India will step up talks on missile defense and cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. The identical statements made by President George W. Bush in Monterrey, Mexico and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in New Delhi signifies new levels of cooperation between the world’s lone superpower and the biggest democracy.
The two nations would step up cooperation in non-military nuclear activities, civilian space programs and high-technology trade and expand dialogue on missile defense.
“Cooperation in these areas will deepen the ties of commerce and friendship between our two nations, and will increase stability in Asia and beyond,” Bush said.
A senior US official in Washington said the nuclear cooperation will not involve India’s nuclear weapons program. He added that the United States remains concerned about that program as well as India’s ballistic missile program.
Bush said the proposed cooperation will progress through a series of reciprocal steps.
“The expanded cooperation launched today is an important milestone in transforming the relationship between the United States and India,” Bush said. “The vision of US-India strategic partnership that Prime Minister Vajpayee and I share is now becoming a reality.”
Reiterating the crux of Bush’s statement, Vajpayee said: “In November 2001, President Bush and I committed our countries to a strategic partnership. Since then, our two countries have strengthened bilateral cooperation significantly in several areas. Today we announce the next steps in implementing our shared vision.”
As for India’s nuclear weapons program, Vajpayee’s statement said: “In order to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, relevant laws, regulations and procedures will be strengthened, and measures to increase bilateral and international cooperation in this area will be employed. These cooperative efforts will be undertaken in accordance with our respective national laws and international obligations.”
Both Bush and Vajpayee said: “We are working together to promote global peace and prosperity. We are partners in the war on terrorism and we are partners in controlling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them.”
Coming just a week before External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha’s visit to Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, the new turn in India-US ties is the result of two years of negotiations between officials and experts of the two countries, sources said. It is expected to boost bilateral trade.
Speaking at the Indo-US workshop on “Science and Technology to counter terrorism” in Goa, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam emphasized the need to develop sophisticated technologies for dealing with terrorists. He said, “Both India and the United States can work together to bring synergy in these endeavors among scientists and evolve specific programs.”
As a “developing nation is more susceptible to problems of terrorism,” Kalam said, “the solution has to be comprehensive and multidimensional.”
