By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : An agreement on end-use monitoring of sensitive US technology and equipment and another offering two nuclear sites to the US are expected to be the highlights of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s five-day visit to India starting Friday.
“We hope to be able to sign an end-use monitoring agreement,” Assistant Secretary for South Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake said Wednesday. The US also hoped that India will be in a position to announce two sites where US companies will have the exclusive right to set up nuclear reactors, he said.
Clinton and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna are expected to sign the agreements as they announce Monday the elements of “an enhanced US-India strategic partnership” offering solutions to the challenges of the 21st century.
Besides Krishna, Clinton making her first visit to India as America’s chief diplomat will also meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani, entrepreneurs, scientists and youth, he said.
Blake referred to Clinton’s various speeches, particularly the one at the US-India Business Council’s (USIBC) Synergies Summit here last month where she gave the first broad exposition of Washington’s agenda for India with a pledge to build what she called the “US-India 3.0” relationship representing the next stage in their evolving ties.
Answering critics who have wondered why Washington waited so long for engaging India, he said both sides were waiting for the elections to be over.
The strong showing of the Congress party and return of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the helm and President Barack Obama’s support for a “new invigorated partnership with India” augured well for the new relationship, Blake said.
Both Clinton and Obama see India as a key partner not only in bilateral ties but also as “one of a few key partners worldwide who will help us shape the 21st century”, he said echoing Clinton.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])