NEW DELHI, 12 October 2004 — India and the United States yesterday began talks on increasing cooperation in nuclear and strategic areas, less than a month after Washington lifted sanctions on Indian facilities in 1998.
US Under Secretary of State for Commerce Kenneth Juster was holding talks with Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and was later to meet National Security Adviser J. N. Dixit.
Juster was also to meet India’s Commerce Secretary S.N. Menon during his two-day visit.
The aim of the talks is to find ways to improve ties in the high-tech trade, defense and civilian nuclear sectors and in space programs.
On Sept. 17, the US announced it was lifting nuclear export controls on Indian organizations after New Delhi assured US officials they would address American non-proliferation concerns.
The move was the latest easing of sanctions imposed on New Delhi after it declared itself a nuclear power in 1998.
Those sanctions resulted in a freeze on exchanges in nuclear and other high-tech sectors such as “dual-use technology” which finds applications in both civilian and military use.
Along with lifting the controls, Washington said it would ease export licensing policies to expand bilateral cooperation in commercial space programs.
The deal was the first phase under the “Next Steps In Strategic Partnership With India” agreed in January between President George W. Bush and former Premier Atal Behari Vajpayee.
