Monday, March 26, 2012
Match Japan to avoid sanctions: America
From The Hindu
In its most direct message that India, along with other nations importing oil from Iran, could face sanctions by July if it did not “significantly” reduce such imports, the U.S. State Department warned in a conference call this week that if such countries, “in addition to having imported petroleum products, may have had other kinds of sanctionable activities, it could actually become liable to sanctions even before [June 28]”.
The remarks raised brows here as sanctions against countries such as India, China, and South Korea appeared more imminent following the White House's push for upping the ante against Iran through its 2012 National Defence Authorisation Act (Section 1245).
A senior State Department official said on Tuesday the NDAA provisions gave nations 180 days from the start of this year to attain levels of oil import cuts similar to those of Japan, which was said to have decreased its imports of Iranian crude by between 15 and 22 per cent.
During a testimony last month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Japan's decision as a reduction achieved “despite the hardships and the loss of energy capacity after Fukushima”. The senior State Department official addressing media this week stressed that the 12 nations who continued to import Iranian crude could get a sense of what kind of import reduction the U.S. was expecting by looking at the Japanese case as an example.
Referring to the NDAA text, the official admitted that its “legislation specifies significantly reduce [but] doesn't define what significantly reduce is.” Underscoring the 15-22 per cent cut he said, “That gives some indication. And again with the European Union, they have gone to zero. So we look forward to hearing from countries [such as India] what their views are and what they can do.”
The European nations that appeared to have given the U.S. cause for cheer on this front are Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Recent weeks saw media reports quoting unnamed U.S. government officials suggest that India was on track to be slapped with sanctions. Attention in Washington has in particular focused on alleged remarks on continuing business transactions with Iran, made by officials in the Indian Ministry of Commerce and by private business leaders. The pro-Israel lobbies have also sought to increase pressure on New Delhi to abandon these ties with Iran and seek oil supplies elsewhere in West Asia.
Following these developments, earlier this month the Indian embassy here hit back with sharply-worded retort to allegations “which have presented a distorted picture by basing their conclusions on speculation and inaccurate information.”
In that statement embassy Spokesman Virander Paul stoutly refuted the allegations, and pointed out that “Allusions in the media that India's overall oil imports from Iran are increasing just because its monthly uptake of Iranian oil reportedly increased in January this year are based on selective use of information, misrepresenting the fact that in aggregate terms, crude imports from Iran constitute a declining share of India's oil imports.”
Even as the U.S. appeared to wave the threat of sanctions in the face of the 12 nations that continued to import Iranian crude, it also proffered two prior steps to mitigate the potentially difficult transition that these nations may face in cutting out Iranian oil imports entirely.
First, the State Department official said, under the NDAA provisions President Barack Obama would be making a determination by March 30 whether or not price and supply conditions in the market allowed for countries to switch from Iran to other suppliers of crude oil. If the President did make that determination, the official said, that would trigger a set of sanctions that come into effect on June 28.
Second, the official said that some nations “that... have the capacity to reduce their imports of Iranian crude oil [and are] still importing Iranian oil... have begun... discussions with us... and we are very interested to continue to pursue them in great seriousness.”
Starting February 29, the U.S. has put sanctions in place against any entity engaging in financial transactions with the Central Bank of Iran that were related to non-petroleum products “except in the circumstance of a country sending refined petroleum products to Iran.” Such entities have essentially been excluded from access to the U.S. banking system from the time this NDAA provision came into law.
In its most direct message that India, along with other nations importing oil from Iran, could face sanctions by July if it did not “significantly” reduce such imports, the U.S. State Department warned in a conference call this week that if such countries, “in addition to having imported petroleum products, may have had other kinds of sanctionable activities, it could actually become liable to sanctions even before [June 28]”.
The remarks raised brows here as sanctions against countries such as India, China, and South Korea appeared more imminent following the White House's push for upping the ante against Iran through its 2012 National Defence Authorisation Act (Section 1245).
A senior State Department official said on Tuesday the NDAA provisions gave nations 180 days from the start of this year to attain levels of oil import cuts similar to those of Japan, which was said to have decreased its imports of Iranian crude by between 15 and 22 per cent.
During a testimony last month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Japan's decision as a reduction achieved “despite the hardships and the loss of energy capacity after Fukushima”. The senior State Department official addressing media this week stressed that the 12 nations who continued to import Iranian crude could get a sense of what kind of import reduction the U.S. was expecting by looking at the Japanese case as an example.
Referring to the NDAA text, the official admitted that its “legislation specifies significantly reduce [but] doesn't define what significantly reduce is.” Underscoring the 15-22 per cent cut he said, “That gives some indication. And again with the European Union, they have gone to zero. So we look forward to hearing from countries [such as India] what their views are and what they can do.”
The European nations that appeared to have given the U.S. cause for cheer on this front are Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Recent weeks saw media reports quoting unnamed U.S. government officials suggest that India was on track to be slapped with sanctions. Attention in Washington has in particular focused on alleged remarks on continuing business transactions with Iran, made by officials in the Indian Ministry of Commerce and by private business leaders. The pro-Israel lobbies have also sought to increase pressure on New Delhi to abandon these ties with Iran and seek oil supplies elsewhere in West Asia.
Following these developments, earlier this month the Indian embassy here hit back with sharply-worded retort to allegations “which have presented a distorted picture by basing their conclusions on speculation and inaccurate information.”
In that statement embassy Spokesman Virander Paul stoutly refuted the allegations, and pointed out that “Allusions in the media that India's overall oil imports from Iran are increasing just because its monthly uptake of Iranian oil reportedly increased in January this year are based on selective use of information, misrepresenting the fact that in aggregate terms, crude imports from Iran constitute a declining share of India's oil imports.”
Even as the U.S. appeared to wave the threat of sanctions in the face of the 12 nations that continued to import Iranian crude, it also proffered two prior steps to mitigate the potentially difficult transition that these nations may face in cutting out Iranian oil imports entirely.
First, the State Department official said, under the NDAA provisions President Barack Obama would be making a determination by March 30 whether or not price and supply conditions in the market allowed for countries to switch from Iran to other suppliers of crude oil. If the President did make that determination, the official said, that would trigger a set of sanctions that come into effect on June 28.
Second, the official said that some nations “that... have the capacity to reduce their imports of Iranian crude oil [and are] still importing Iranian oil... have begun... discussions with us... and we are very interested to continue to pursue them in great seriousness.”
Starting February 29, the U.S. has put sanctions in place against any entity engaging in financial transactions with the Central Bank of Iran that were related to non-petroleum products “except in the circumstance of a country sending refined petroleum products to Iran.” Such entities have essentially been excluded from access to the U.S. banking system from the time this NDAA provision came into law.
Labels: India-US ties, Iran oil imports
Visiting U.S. officials will discuss children’s rights
From The Hindu
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs will travel to New Delhi on March 21, the Department of State announced on Monday. Ms. Jacobs will be joined by James Herman, Minister Counsellor for Consular Affairs to India, for talks with counterparts at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, according to a statement.
A significant part of the talks they convene in India will cover “a wide range of consular issues, from the protection of citizens abroad to the facilitation of travel between the U.S. and India, a Department Spokesperson said.
However there will also be a focus on children’s rights in an international context. “The U.S. encourages India’s accession to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction,” the State Department noted, adding that the discussion agenda would include aligning U.S. and Indian visa policies and children’s issues.
While in New Delhi, Mr. Jacobs will address American and Indian business leaders at an event sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in India, according to officials.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs will travel to New Delhi on March 21, the Department of State announced on Monday. Ms. Jacobs will be joined by James Herman, Minister Counsellor for Consular Affairs to India, for talks with counterparts at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, according to a statement.
A significant part of the talks they convene in India will cover “a wide range of consular issues, from the protection of citizens abroad to the facilitation of travel between the U.S. and India, a Department Spokesperson said.
However there will also be a focus on children’s rights in an international context. “The U.S. encourages India’s accession to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction,” the State Department noted, adding that the discussion agenda would include aligning U.S. and Indian visa policies and children’s issues.
While in New Delhi, Mr. Jacobs will address American and Indian business leaders at an event sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in India, according to officials.
Labels: child rights, India-US ties
Thursday, February 23, 2012
A second slam-dunk for sports diplomacy
From The Hindu
Even if the politics of India-United States ties sometimes falls short of the hoop, the two nations continue to score slam-dunks in terms of bilateral sport diplomacy.
This week the U.S. State Department announced that the second round of people-to-people exchanges under its Sports Visitor programme will see 14 Indian basketball coaches touring the U.S. for ten days from February 17 2012.
The programme, hosted jointly by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the National Basketball Association (NBA) will begin in Washington, according to an official statement, “where the delegation will meet with U.S. basketball coaches, work with young American athletes, participate in a basketball clinic with Special Olympics athletes, and engage in activities focused on team-building and injury prevention.”
Later, the coaches from India will travel to Orlando, Florida to attend NBA coaching clinics and sessions surrounding NBA All-Star 2012, the State Department said.
The forthcoming exchange programme builds on the first round of basketball exchange in February 2011, when NBA Hall-of-Famer George Gervin and six-time WNBA All-Star Katie Smith travelled to India conducting basketball clinics for thousands of young boys, girls and coaches.
Even if the politics of India-United States ties sometimes falls short of the hoop, the two nations continue to score slam-dunks in terms of bilateral sport diplomacy.
This week the U.S. State Department announced that the second round of people-to-people exchanges under its Sports Visitor programme will see 14 Indian basketball coaches touring the U.S. for ten days from February 17 2012.
The programme, hosted jointly by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the National Basketball Association (NBA) will begin in Washington, according to an official statement, “where the delegation will meet with U.S. basketball coaches, work with young American athletes, participate in a basketball clinic with Special Olympics athletes, and engage in activities focused on team-building and injury prevention.”
Later, the coaches from India will travel to Orlando, Florida to attend NBA coaching clinics and sessions surrounding NBA All-Star 2012, the State Department said.
The forthcoming exchange programme builds on the first round of basketball exchange in February 2011, when NBA Hall-of-Famer George Gervin and six-time WNBA All-Star Katie Smith travelled to India conducting basketball clinics for thousands of young boys, girls and coaches.
Labels: India-US ties, NBA
Friday, November 18, 2011
U.S. “studying” Indian nuclear liability regulations
From The Hindu
The United States State Department said that it was “in the process of studying the content” of the new rules on the Indian Nuclear Liability Act as notified by the Indian government earlier this week.
Of the two segments in the Act, which were of concern to the U.S., the Government of India’s notification on the regulations did not alter Section 46, which allows Indian citizens to file tort claims for damages. Yet it did open up a loophole for Section 17(b), which grants the Indian nuclear operator a right of recourse against nuclear suppliers if an accident results from gross negligence.
However in response to a question fromThe HinduDepartment Spokesman Mark Toner only suggested that the U.S. government was aware of the notification about the implementing regulations. He added, “Once we have reviewed them thoroughly, then we will have comment.”
The passage of the Act last year brought progress under the civilian nuclear agreement between India and the U.S. to a grinding halt. Even after India made assurances that it would accede to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation, an internationally accepted liability regime, doubts persisted on the U.S. side regarding the exposure of U.S. nuclear companies to liability. Since that time negotiations involving U.S. nuclear suppliers such as GE and Westinghouse have been underway but have produced no breakthroughs.
Labels: India-US ties, Nuclear Liability Act
Saturday, November 05, 2011
U.S. harps on IAEA role in India
The United States this week signalled its intention to persist with pressuring India to get the International Atomic Energy Agency to adjudicate on whether the civilian nuclear liability bill passed in the Indian parliament was consistent with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation.
Reiterating the U.S.’ demand that the IAEA get involved, U.S. Deputy Secretary William Burns said on Tuesday, “We encourage India to engage with the IAEA to ensure that India’s liability regime fully conforms with the international requirements under the [CSC].”
While Mr. Burns welcomed India’s commitment to ratify the CSC later this year, he said that if international and Indian firms were to participate in India’s civil nuclear sector, “India needs a nuclear liability regime consistent with international standards.”
His comments, which came during a U.S.-India dialogue organised by the Brookings Institution and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, underscore remarks made earlier by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
During her July meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna in New Delhi at the second round of the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, Ms. Clinton had stated the U.S. position in the very same words that Mr. Burns used this week, saying that the U.S. “encouraged” New Delhi to “engage” with the IAEA to ensure that the Indian nuclear liability law “fully conforms” with the CSC.
While Mr. Burns said that completing the civil nuclear partnership was central to both nations’ long-term prosperity and India’s future energy security, Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao, who also spoke at the same event, said that there were immense opportunities for U.S. companies in this sector and that Indian and U.S. companies were already in discussions to set up nuclear power plants in India.
“On its part, the Government of India is committed to provide a level playing field for all our international partners,” Ambassador Rao added.
Labels: atomic energy, atomic power, India-US ties, US-India dialogue
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Flurry of U.S-India meetings in the offing
From The Hindu
There will be a spate of meetings between top officials of the United States and Indian governments over the next few months, including visits by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano, and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, according to official sources here.
The recent trip to India by Jane Lute, Deputy Secretary of the DHS, between January 11-12, helped lay the ground for a visit by Ms. Napolitano “sometime in April,” a senior Indian diplomat here said.
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is expected to visit Washington around February 13-15.
During her visit, Ms. Rao will consult with her U.S. counterpart William Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and also with Eric Hirschhorn, Under Secretary of Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), who is taking the lead on the matter of relaxation of export control restrictions vis-á-vis bilateral high-technology trade.
The meeting with Commerce Department officials would follow the U.S.' January 21-issuance of an export control notification removing organisations such as the Indian Space Research Organisation and Bharat Dynamics Limited from the BIS' Entity List.
Diplomatic sources here said that some export controls which were retained as of now could follow suit, as there were still “some actions [pending] on [the Indian] side regarding provision of assurances on re-export.” However, such assurances are regularly provided by the Indian government when appropriate. During the first few weeks of March, top military officials from both sides will meet their counterparts, following which, Ms. Clinton will travel to India to take forward the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue.
'Full agenda'
An Indian diplomat here said that there was a “very full agenda” on the bilateral side between now and April.
On the trade front, said officials, revised bilateral trade data suggested that the trade in goods rose by 30 per cent in 2010, following a dip in 2009. Also the trade in services, in 2008, between India and the U.S., had been revised upward from $22 billion to $38 billion.
Of this, a little over $18 billion was comprised exports from India, while nearly $20 billion represented U.S. exports to India, officials confirmed, suggesting that “data shows that bilateral trade is broadly balanced.”
The key bilateral policy initiatives that will be considered in the coming months include a monsoon modelling cooperation initiative that will be housed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Agency, sources said.
There was also an intention to take the civil nuclear cooperation agreement forward during the visit of Mr. Locke, who would be accompanied by representatives of U.S. nuclear companies. Discussions in this space would further touch upon the plan to develop a Global Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Energy.
There will be a spate of meetings between top officials of the United States and Indian governments over the next few months, including visits by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano, and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, according to official sources here.
The recent trip to India by Jane Lute, Deputy Secretary of the DHS, between January 11-12, helped lay the ground for a visit by Ms. Napolitano “sometime in April,” a senior Indian diplomat here said.
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is expected to visit Washington around February 13-15.
During her visit, Ms. Rao will consult with her U.S. counterpart William Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and also with Eric Hirschhorn, Under Secretary of Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), who is taking the lead on the matter of relaxation of export control restrictions vis-á-vis bilateral high-technology trade.
The meeting with Commerce Department officials would follow the U.S.' January 21-issuance of an export control notification removing organisations such as the Indian Space Research Organisation and Bharat Dynamics Limited from the BIS' Entity List.
Diplomatic sources here said that some export controls which were retained as of now could follow suit, as there were still “some actions [pending] on [the Indian] side regarding provision of assurances on re-export.” However, such assurances are regularly provided by the Indian government when appropriate. During the first few weeks of March, top military officials from both sides will meet their counterparts, following which, Ms. Clinton will travel to India to take forward the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue.
'Full agenda'
An Indian diplomat here said that there was a “very full agenda” on the bilateral side between now and April.
On the trade front, said officials, revised bilateral trade data suggested that the trade in goods rose by 30 per cent in 2010, following a dip in 2009. Also the trade in services, in 2008, between India and the U.S., had been revised upward from $22 billion to $38 billion.
Of this, a little over $18 billion was comprised exports from India, while nearly $20 billion represented U.S. exports to India, officials confirmed, suggesting that “data shows that bilateral trade is broadly balanced.”
The key bilateral policy initiatives that will be considered in the coming months include a monsoon modelling cooperation initiative that will be housed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Agency, sources said.
There was also an intention to take the civil nuclear cooperation agreement forward during the visit of Mr. Locke, who would be accompanied by representatives of U.S. nuclear companies. Discussions in this space would further touch upon the plan to develop a Global Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Energy.
Labels: India-US ties
Friday, October 08, 2010
Pranab hopeful of UNSC seat; positive on Indian economy
From The Hindu
With an eye on the approaching India visit of United States President Barack Obama, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee expressed hope that India would be made a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and that despite the global economic slowdown the Indian government would neither curb foreign investment flows nor allow itself to slip into an inflationary crisis.
Mr. Mukherjee also tacitly advanced arguments to quash any notion that outsourcing of economic activities to India adversely affecting the U.S.. He said that trade between India and the U.S. had more than doubled between 2004 and 2008 and as Indian companies sought to position themselves better in the global market place, they have invested over $25 billion between 2004 and 2009 in the U.S., “creating jobs and prosperity.”
Regarding the UNSC Mr. Mukherjee said, “I do hope that as and when the expanded Security Council along with the general reforms of the United Nations takes place, India’s claim for being a permanent member of the Security Council will be considered and accepted.” In his speech on Thursday he further said that international financial institutions needed to reflect in their functioning the realities on the ground and pressed for a “more dynamic and equitable economic architecture for global trade and sustained growth.”
While the Minister emphasised lessons learned in the aftermath of the global economic slowdown, for example regarding the need for financial market regulation, he, however, equally assured the attendees at an event at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington that he did not consider Foreign Institutional Investment and Foreign Direct Investment flows to be too volatile presently.
Mr. Mukherjee added that while it was the responsibility of the Reserve Bank of India to “watch the situation and as and when it is necessary to intervene appropriately,” he did not believe that the inflow of FII or FDI had distorted the market sentiments. “Therefore there is no question of putting any cap,” on such flows, he noted.
Responding to a question on whether inflation risk had become worrisome in the Indian economy, Mr. Mukherjee struck a cautious note. He said, “I do agree that there is an inflationary pressure in the system and you will have to agree with me that when we have massive financial expansions we cannot expect to have non-inflationary impact on the economy at all.”
He admitted that he was particularly concerned about inflationary pressures on food items, and in this area the Indian government had taken steps to improve the supply side by importing scarce goods. Overall, he said, the government was following a policy trajectory that sought to strike a balance, “so that the growth is not retarded and at the same time the inflationary pressure is being reduced.” This ought to produce an end-of-financial-year inflation rate of “around six per cent,” he said.
Mr. Mukherjee also highlighted a recently concluded agreement between India and Switzerland relating to double-taxation avoidance. The Minister noted that in order to introduce an amendment to a clause in the agreement, concerning the exchange of relevant information between the two countries, there had been an ongoing bilateral dialogue. However, the negotiations had recently been completed and India was now awaiting the ratification of this agreement as per Swiss laws, he added.
Labels: India, India-US ties, Pranab Mukherjee, United Nations Security Council
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