Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

In an unmistakable indication of backroom discussions shifting up a gear before President Barack Obama’s India visit in November, the State Department announced today that United States National Security Advisor General Jim Jones met with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to “continue preparations for the President’s upcoming visit”.

According to an official statement General Jones and Ms. Rao reviewed the progress being made in a number of areas, including agriculture, education, economic cooperation, and security. Additionally, General Jones and Ms. Rao were said to have discussed other developments in South Asia, noting their “mutual desire for stability”.

Ms. Rao is in Washington principally to keep the discussions moving forward and it has been announced that next week, Indian Industry Minister Anand Sharma will be in town to similarly add momentum to bilateral trade policy discussions.

The visiting Indian officials were said to be holding meetings with senior U.S. counterparts, including Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns, Under Secretary for Defence Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security Eric Hirschhorn, and Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee Howard Berman.

While it would appear that the U.S. has in general had a positive attitude towards the bilateral relationship, the Indian side has been pressing for further progress with issues such as the H1-B visa fee hike, India’s interest in securing U.S. support for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and its hope that export control restrictions would be eased.

Nuclear liability bill, counter-terrorism on agenda

According to sources, counter-terrorism, and in particular, its cross-border aspects including infiltration, have been an important component of the ongoing talks between the two countries.

So has the civil nuclear liability bill, even if progress on the ground in this area was expected to be gradual. In this sphere, the main argument that India has sought to convey to the U.S. was that the liability bill passed in the Indian Parliament did not contain provisions that were additional to what already existed in common law and did not contradict the Convention on Supplementary Compensation.

The hope was also that all nuclear suppliers participating in India’s nuclear industry would operate on a level playing field, according to sources, and that India was open to continuing a dialogue with the supplier companies.

The U.S.-India dialogue will also cover some new policy subjects of mutual interest such as the governance of the global commons, including maritime security and antipiracy, and ocean domain awareness, it was learned.

Labels: Barack Obama India visit, Jim Jones, Nirupama Rao, Strategic Dialogue, U.S. State Department

From The Hindu

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the three key issues discussed during the strategic dialogue were reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that recognised India's central role in global politics, counter-terrorism cooperation and the need for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, and defence modernisation, including relaxation of export controls for sensitive high-tech items of trade.

Speaking at a seminar hosted by the Brookings Institution on ‘India and the United States: A Strategic Partnership,' Ms. Rao said the three driving factors behind what President Obama had described as an “unprecedented partnership” were shared values, growing economic and people-to-people contacts, and convergence on major global issues such as terrorism, and energy and food security.

On possible future discussions regarding reform within the United Nations, Ms. Rao said: “The question of reform of the UNSC and the expansion of its membership is an important item on the agenda of our dialogue as we seek U.S. support for India's case for permanent membership of the Security Council.”

Describing India's vision of enhanced South Asian cooperation, Ms. Rao noted: “That vision is, however, being challenged by violent extremism and terrorism which originates in our region and finds sustenance and sanctuary there.” She added that the recent failed terrorist attempt in Times Square, New York, had again revealed the global reach of terrorist organisations, whether Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Al-Qaeda or the Taliban.

Touching upon the Afghanistan link to terror, Ms. Rao said India was “supportive of the U.S. efforts to fight terrorism in Afghanistan” and help with restoring stability there. She noted that Indian assistance amounting to over $1.3 billion had helped develop vital civil infrastructure, build human resources and capacities in the areas of health, education, agriculture and rural development among others.

Ms. Rao reiterated the comments of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna during the dialogue, saying that India stood by its development partnership with Afghanistan “despite repeated terrorist attacks on the Indian mission and our brave men and women who are working there to help transform the lives of ordinary Afghan citizens.”

In her speech, Ms. Rao also emphasised that an important element with regard to ongoing U.S.-India partnerships in defence modernisation would be “progress on the easing of U.S. export control restrictions as they apply to India.”

She argued that this would not only be a logical outcome of the civil nuclear initiative, but would also be a catalyst for promoting trading and cooperation in high-technology, defence and the space sectors. “It would also be consonant with the nature of the strategic partnership that exists between us and the growing mutual trust and confidence that is an important driver in our relations today,” she added.

Labels: Afghan terror link, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Nirupama Rao, S.M. Krishna, Strategic Dialogue

From The Hindu

At the end of the first round of strategic dialogue between India and the United States here, the two countries significantly expanded the breadth of their collaboration across a range of areas. These include counter-terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, United Nations Security Council reform, trade and investment, science and technology, climate change mitigation, energy and food security, education, agriculture, healthcare and empowerment of women.

In a rare symbolic gesture designed to underscore the importance of the U.S.' relationship with India, President Barack Obama made a brief visit to the State Department during a reception for select officials and the media. He announced that his much anticipated visit to India would come in “early November.”

The dialogue, led by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saw both sides pledging to “continue to consult each other closely on regional and global developments and remain sensitive to each other's interests,” given their role as strategic partners.

Reiterating Under Secretary William Burns' statements at a recent event, Ms. Clinton said after the conclusion of the discussions that the U.S. considered India an important part of any future reform plans for the Security Council, even if there was no consensus yet in the multilateral context.

Both Indian officials and their U.S. counterparts came out with strong comments on the need to tackle terror attacks. In his opening remarks before the plenary session, Mr. Krishna said: “Though the epicentre of this threat lies in India's neighbourhood, it reaches far and wide all across the world as we have seen time and again, and most recently a few weeks back in the Times Square.”

He also noted that given that the groups preaching “the ideology of hatred and violence are increasingly coalescing, sharing resources and operating as one,” it was incumbent upon both countries to focus their efforts “laser-like” on every one of them.

Headley issue

In the course of the strategic dialogue, Mr. Krishna said India was assured of access to David Headley. India's Ambassador to the U.S. Meera Shankar added that the Indian delegation was in touch with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the “entire process” after which the assurances were made.

President Obama also emphasised the transnational nature of terror threats. He said tackling these threats would require “making progress for the Afghan people and preventing terrorism, whether it's in Manhattan or in Mumbai.” It would include securing vulnerable nuclear materials, a goal that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had furthered by committing India to building a new centre of excellence for nuclear energy and security.

Mr. Obama again touched upon the high priority his administration accorded to the U.S.-India relationship. Pointing to Dr. Singh's visit last November, he said: “It was a state visit that demonstrated that our relations with India are at the highest of priorities for my administration, and for me personally as President of the United States.” He believed that India was a “leader in Asia and around the world. It's a rising power and a responsible global power.”

Mr. Obama said his administration's new National Security Strategy, released last week, made the importance of India “absolutely clear.” “A fundamental pillar of America's comprehensive engagement with the world involves deepening our cooperation with the 21st century centres of influence — and that includes India,” he said.

Labels: Barack Obama, counter-terrorism, disarmament, Hillary Clinton, non-proliferation, S.M. Krishna, Strategic Dialogue

From The Hindu

At the start of the United States-India Strategic Dialogue on Thursday, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna pressed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a request to provide Indian authorities with access to David Coleman Headley, accused in the Mumbai attacks and currently in the custody of the United States. He also pushed for relaxation of export control restrictions by the U.S. on high-tech goods sought by India.

In a clear indication of India's frustration with the lack of progress in the Headley case over two months after Headley struck a bargain with the U.S. Department of Justice, Mr. Krishna said, "access for our authorities to persons who have been apprehended by your Government in connection with [the] Mumbai terror attack is the logical next step."

Mr. Krishna added, "We are confident that our continued cooperation will lead to [the] realisation of this objective." He however noted that India valued the support it had received from the U.S. government in its investigations.

He also touched upon another area where India is awaiting a favourable U.S. policy response -- export control restrictions on high-tech goods, particularly dual-use items.

In this regard Mr. Krishna said in his opening remarks, "Given the strategic nature of our partnership and particularly the conclusion of the Civil Nuclear Initiative, these controls are not only anomalous but also a hindrance to furthering trade and investment in this particularly significant sector of our economies."

He added that India looked forward to "early steps in this direction".

On dispelling doubts

In her statements, Secretary Clinton sought to dispel 'doubts that remain on both sides'. Ms. Clinton said there were still "doubts among some Indians that the U.S. only, or mainly, sees India in the context of Afghanistan or Pakistan, or that we will hasten our departure from Afghanistan leaving India to deal with the aftermath".

She noted that equally, there were also "doubts in America that India has not fully embraced its role in regional or global affairs or will not make the economic reform needed to foster additional progress".

However, she argued that with this Dialogue and the level of confidence that India and the U.S. have established between themselves, they would "confront these challenges directly and candidly".

Click here for video of joint press conference by Hillary Clinton and S.M. Krishna. Source: U.S. State Department.

Labels: David Coleman Headley, high-technology exports, Hillary Clinton, India-U.S. ties, non-proliferation agenda, nuclear security, S.M. Krishna, Strategic Dialogue, UNSC

From The Hindu

“The Government [of India] is committed to put in place a nuclear liability regime… [and] we look forward to U.S. companies investing in India,” said External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.

Speaking before the start of the United States-India Strategic Dialogue at an event hosted by the U.S.-India Business Council, Mr. Krishna said many companies in the U.S. were in dialogue with Indian companies already, adding, "We would like it to be as robust a partnership as we have both envisioned."

Highlighting some of the key areas of discussion over the coming days, Mr. Krishna said, they would include a wide range of subjects, "from countering terrorism and extremism, advancing nuclear security, working to secure the global commons, seeking to build a developed and cooperative Asia, and succeeding in Afghanistan to dialogues for co-operation in science and technology, research for clean energy and monsoon prediction, health and education, and a dialogue on women’s empowerment".

Mr. Krishna noted that the Dialogue would also be an important occasion for India and the U.S. to reflect on the remarkable journey that the two democracies had embarked upon, and to set their sights on new milestones.

High-technology exports

He also touched upon the question of restrictions on high-technology exports to India from the U.S., an issue that industry associations such as the High Technology Cooperation Group have been emphasising over the last few months.

Making a strong pitch for fewer restrictions Mr. Krishna said, “Indian importers have a 100 per cent compliance record when it comes to safeguarding imported technology — we have been implementing the End-Use Verification Agreement with U.S. partners for years now — and have, last year, agreed to a Technical Safeguards Agreement in space co-operation.”

He noted that India also had the End Use Monitoring arrangement for defence acquisitions and had “given a number of written assurances that U.S. technology will enjoy the level of security stipulated by the relevant U.S. laws and not be diverted in contravention of U.S. regulations.”

He said given these assurances and the trust fostered through strategic dialogue, the two countries “should be able to create an environment for a robust two way trade in advanced technology products.”

Mr. Krishna will meet with his counterpart, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other U.S. officials on Thursday as part of the formal Strategic Dialogue discussions. President Barack Obama will also meet with the Indian delegation at the State Department during what is expected to be a star-studded reception for attending dignitaries and select media.

Labels: high-technology exports, Hillary Clinton, India-U.S. ties, non-proliferation agenda, nuclear security, S.M. Krishna, Strategic Dialogue, UNSC

From The Hindu

“India’s expanding global role will naturally make it an important part of any future consideration of reform of the United Nations Security Council,” said William Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

Speaking at a seminar prior to the start of this week’s United States-India Strategic Dialogue, Mr. Burns noted that reform of the UNSC, similar to other structures of the international architecture, was an issue that needed to be addressed so that it reflected the realities of 2010 rather than 1945.

He argued that in this context, the U.S. recognised India’s “increasing global role” and was “open to expansion of permanent membership of the Council”.

However Mr. Burns said that reform of the UNSC would have to be undertaken “in a way which is going to preserve the effectiveness of the Security Council”.

Further, in response to questions, Mr. Burns emphasised that “for countries like India… we need very much to consider how their increasing role in global affairs is matched by the responsibilities that they can discharge in the most important parts of the international architecture”.

He also noted that “the U.S. strongly supported the recent expansion in India’s World Bank voting share”, which occurred during the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings held earlier this year.

Labels: Strategic Dialogue, United Nations Security Council, UNSC, William Burns

From The Hindu

There is no escaping a strong sense of déjà vu surrounding the upcoming United States-India Strategic Dialogue to be held here this week. Both countries are poised, yet again, to do what they have done ever since President Obama took office, namely, skip through policy minefields while professing unwavering cooperation on a range of less exigent issues.

Much like the previous meetings, this one will not be about Pakistan’s inability or unwillingness to deliver justice through the prosecution of the masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Speaking before the talks Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, said that regarding Punjab-based terror groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, “Pakistan has [acted against them] in the past between 2004 and 2007, and that laid the basis for a very significant expansion in relations between India and Pakistan.” Then why exactly did the Mumbai attacks occur? This “softly, softly” approach towards Pakistan may be wearing dangerously thin.

Neither will this meeting recognise a fundamental dissonance within President Obama’s nuclear security and non-proliferation agenda — that powers such as the U.S. and Russia continue to maintain significant and less-than-secure arsenals even as they turn up the heat on de facto nuclear powers like India.

Questions to be raised

Would India dare remind the U.S. that it was on American soil that six nuclear warheads fixed to cruise missiles were mistakenly carried on a B-52 bomber in 2007, violating numerous Cold-War-era treaties? Would India even contemplate asking the U.S. to bring Israel’s nuclear programme into the spotlight as it has done Iran’s?

Much like the previous dialogue, this one will certainly not be about understanding India’s views on third parties like Iran, regardless of India’s strategic closeness to that country.

Given its absence at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), India will have no say in the decision by the P5+1 group to mete out rough justice to Iran through UNSC sanctions, which completely undermine Iran’s promise to move low-enriched uranium off its soil under the fuel-swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil.

Global, bilateral issues on agenda

Instead, global and bilateral issues have been placed on the agenda which, though worthy of holding the relationship to a positive pitch, make a proverbial 200-pound gorilla of the other burning questions.

The most telling sign that the U.S.-India engagement is set to simmer but will never get fully cooked was a statement by Mr. Blake to a question on what the deliverables of the Strategic Dialogue would be. He said, “I do not want to talk about the deliverables now. But we are really not focused that much on deliverables.”

Labels: India-U.S. ties, Lashkar-e-Taiba, non-proliferation agenda, nuclear security, Robert Blake, Strategic Dialogue, UNSC

From The Hindu

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Wednesday that Pakistan stills hopes the United States would play a “constructive” role in resolving the Kashmir dispute and providing it with “non-discriminatory” access to energy.

Mr. Qureshi said: “Pakistan seeks peaceful resolution to all issues in South Asia, including Kashmir. We hope the U.S. will maintain its constructive engagement to encourage this process.”

At a press conference at the start of a Strategic Dialogue between the two countries, Mr. Qureshi said an improved relationship between the two countries “is good for Pakistan, good for America and good for international peace, security and prosperity.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton similarly affirmed, “It is the start of something new.” However, she added, “Our countries have had our misunderstandings and disagreements in the past and there are sure to be more disagreements in the future, as there are between any friends or, frankly, any family members.”

Hinting at a fresh start in the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, she said, “But this is a new day. For the past year, the Obama administration has shown in our words and deeds a different approach and attitude toward Pakistan.”

She added that the dialogue that the U.S. sought was not only with the government of Pakistan, but also the people of Pakistan.

Mr. Qureshi's reference to “non-discriminatory” access to energy was a reiteration of Pakistan's request for a civilian nuclear deal with the U.S., similar to an agreement reached with India two years ago.

However in an earlier interview Ms. Clinton had said that the civilian nuclear deal with India was “the result of many, many years of strategic dialogue.”

It did not happen easily or quickly, she added, further saying: “I think on the energy issue specifically, there are more immediate steps that can be taken that have to help with the grid, have to help with other sources of energy, to upgrade power plants and the like.”

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan should resolve disputes bilaterally and the United States administration does not see a role for itself unless called upon by both countries to mediate, Richard Holbrooke, Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan said here.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, Mr. Holbrooke added that Washington would continue to encourage both New Delhi and Islamabad to talk to each other on all issues.

However, he refused to comment on Kashmir, saying that he did not have a mandate to do so.

Labels: Hillary Clinton, India-U.S. nuclear deal, Kashmir issue, Pakistan Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Strategic Dialogue, U.S. Secretary of State

From The Hindu

The United States and Pakistan will hold their first strategic dialogue at the ministerial level in Washington DC on March 24, it was announced here. The talks will be co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

According to a release, the main topics of discussion will be economic development, water and energy, education, communications and public diplomacy, agriculture, and security.

Additionally, deputy spokesman at the State Department Mark Toner, said: “Obviously, we're talking about … Afghanistan, the situation there, the spill-over into the FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] and how to really better engage. And in fact, we've seen some successes on that front in recent weeks on terrorism.”

The State Department confirmed that both governments will come to the table to discuss issues of common concern and shared responsibility.

Labels: Hillary Clinton, Pakistan, Strategic Dialogue, United States

Labels: Foreign Secretary, Hillary Clinton, India, Indo-Pak talks, Nirupama Rao, Pakistan, Secretary of State, Strategic Dialogue, terrorism, U.S. officials