The Hindu : International / India & World : U.S. to ease curbs on space, n-facilities

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Monday, Sep 20, 2004

International

International - India & World

U.S. to ease curbs on space, n-facilities

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 19. India and the United States have come to a successful conclusion of the first phase in the Next Step in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) initiative. "The implementation of the NSSP will lead to significant economic benefits for both countries and improve regional and global security," a joint press statement says.

The successful conclusion of the first phase means that the Bush administration will ease export controls on Indian civilian nuclear and space facilities. The joint statement makes pointed reference to the fact that since January the two Governments have been closely working to conclude Phase 1 and this included implementation of measures to address proliferation concerns and compliance with American export controls.

"These efforts have enabled the United States to make modifications to U.S. export licensing policies that will foster cooperation in commercial space programmes and permit certain exports to power plants at safeguarded nuclear facilities. These modifications, including removing the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters from the Department of Commerce Entity List, are fully consistent with U.S. Government non-proliferation laws, obligations and objectives," the statement reads.

Implementation group

"The United States and India will continue to move forward under the NSSP and have a joint implementation group for this purpose. The progress announced today is only the first phase in this important effort which is a significant part of transforming our strategic relationship," it says.

India's Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, who was in Washington for the "significant" reason of concluding Phase 1 of the NSSP said at a press briefing that this development on Phase 1 opens the door for "more expanded interaction" in the space and nuclear fields; and according to the senior Indian official the "nitty-gritty details" will become available after certain administrative procedures are out of the way.

From India's point of view, the emerging licensing regime is "far more liberal and predictable," says Mr. Saran stressing in the process that in the whole exercise there is nothing like a "more iron clad" or a "less iron clad" guarantees.

"It is a cooperative venture" one in which both India and the United States are looking at "shared concerns," he maintained. One other thing that was pointed out by the Foreign Secretary was that the NSSP is a process and is not static; only the first phase of this process has been completed which will be followed by the second and the third.

No fixed agenda

All of this implying that the full process would go on for years and months and not necessarily confined to the currently identified fields. "We have certain broad contours of a road map."

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U.S. to ease curbs on space, n-facilities