The Hindu : Indo-U.S. high technology group to be set up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 14, 2002

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Indo-U.S. high technology group to be set up

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 13. India and the United States have decided to create an India-U.S. High Technology Cooperation Group that will tackle the contentious issue of increasing trade in "dual use'' goods and technologies. It will comprise senior representatives of relevant departments of both countries.

The new group is expected to work towards developing a new statement of principles governing bilateral cooperation in high technology trade that broadly advances the relationship between the two countries in this area.

It would also address ways to increase trade in dual use goods and technologies, according to a joint statement issued at the conclusion of talks over the past two days.

The decision was taken at the end of a two-day visit by a U.S. delegation led by the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce, Kenneth Juster, which held talks with an official inter-ministerial delegation here led by the Foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal.

At a press conference, Mr. Juster stressed the need for having a regulatory framework to deal with export of dual use products and technologies, instead of dealing on a case-to-case basis. The creation of the group was aimed at putting in place such a framework. It was apparently to evolve guidelines similar to those governing the sale of lethal American munitions and high-end technology to its closest allies, principally NATO alliance countries.

He said that discussions were also held on bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear issues and space. During his visit, the U.S. official met the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, the Minister of State for Space, Vasundhara Raje, and the National Security Advisor, Brajesh Mishra.

The joint statement notes that the two sides pledged to think creatively about steps to enhance high technology trade in a way that reflects their countries' new relationship and common strategic interests.

The statement maintains that the two sides reaffirmed their countries' shared commitment to and common interest in preventing proliferation of strategic goods and technology. "They decided to further enhance their export control cooperation,'' according to the statement.

It was also decided to take steps to pursue the commitment between the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the U.S. President, George Bush, during their November 2001 meeting to stimulate bialteral high technology commerce towards realising their goal of transforming India-U.S. relations.

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