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India, U.S. discuss cooperation in space, n-programmes

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, JAN. 22. The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, wound up his three-day official visit to the United States by holding discussions with law makers in the Senate and the House of Representatives on a range of issues, including the recent developments in the subcontinent against the backdrop of the SAARC summit in Islamabad, the present state and future directions of India-U.S. relations.

At the meeting with members of the House International Relations Committee, Mr. Sinha and the legislators are said to have discussed bilateral trade, commercial relations, outsourcing, developments in Iraq, the war on terror and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Sinha briefed them about the developments at the SAARC Summit and India-Pakistan relations. He met members of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.

Ed Royce, a senior member in the House International Relations Committee, said in a statement: "Most of our discussion focussed on the announcement of increased cooperation in space, high technology and nuclear programmes. This latest agreement between the U.S. and India shows that the interests of the world's two populous democracies are increasingly converging. We both agreed that this is very promising — a huge opportunity for India and the U.S." At the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Sinha is said to have been warmly welcomed by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Richard Lugar, a highly respected Republican who is known for his depth and balance in foreign policy. Mr. Lugar, according to a press advisory put out by the Indian embassy, "expressed his appreciation for the economic progress that India has achieved in recent months and welcomed the initiatives that India had taken in rebuilding relations with Pakistan".

There was a detailed discussion on how commercial relations could be taken forward and on cooperation in international fora.

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