Indo-US joint study suggests slew of steps to boost ties

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Washington, June 28: Removing of barriers to strategic cooperation, particularly in the area of technology development, and expansion of commercial ties between India and the US have been suggested in a joint report by Indian and American think tanks. The report by the Pacific Council on International Policy and The Observer Research Foundation, Delhi, released at Brookings Institution by defence minister Pranab Mukherjee, recommends a series of steps to further boost Indo-US cooperation in a number of fields.

The stereotypical images of India as a land of Maharajas, palaces, elephants against a background of grinding poverty are giving way to a country associated with technological innovation, the taskforce, co-chaired by former US ambassador to India Richard Celeste and former Indian ambassador to the US Abid Hussain, said. India is often referred to in the same breath as China. Strategic differences will certainly occur, says the report, but strengthened economic and cultural ties will enable both nations to ride over those differences with lesser bumps.

The recommendations of the taskforce are aimed at removing barriers to strategic cooperation, particularly in the area of technology development, expanding commerce between the two countries; promoting cooperation in science and technology; strengthening cooperation in health care and education.

Support for India’s bid to join the UNSC as a permanent member; providing India with access to civilian nuclear technology in exchange for putting newly built reactors under IAEA safeguards; inviting India to join the nuclear suppliers group and missile technology control regime and taking steps to modernise Indian export control enforcement are among the key recommendations. It also recommends initiating a high-level dialogue to remove India’s reservations to joining the core group of the proliferation security initiative besides removing it from the sensitive countries list governing the control of exports of strategic technology from the US. “What is permissible for China should not be denied to India,” it states.

It also calls for expanding the areas of technological cooperation under the next steps in strategic partnership. In commerce, the joint taskforce recommends open discussion on a free trade agreement between the two countries and encouraging greater FDI in India.