India looks forward to robust cooperation with US in civil nuclear sector

NEW DELHI - Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Thursday said that India looks forward to early realisation of a robust India-United States cooperation in civil nuclear sector.

It has also enacted a Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act and has signed the CSC (Convention on Supplementary Compensation), Ms. Rao informed in a news briefing on US President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit.

“We welcome the commencement of the commercial negotiations between the Indian operators and the US companies, and look forward to an early realisation of our shared goal of a robust India-US cooperation in the civil nuclear sector,” said Nirupama Rao in a statement on the upcoming visit of the U.S. President.

The Foreign Secretary said the two governments have worked purposefully to expand cooperation in trade and investment, science and technology, clean energy, health, higher education, agriculture etc which are national development priorities for India.

“Bilateral commerce and economic relations have flourished. Trade has also diversified and encompasses a wide range of products, services and technology,” she said while adding bilateral trade in goods and in the services sector is largely balanced.

The Foreign Secretary informed that the economic partnership between the two countries will be one important area of focus.

“There are a lot of synergies between the two countries. The economic relationship is growing well in both directions,” Ms. Rao stated.

She informed that the US Administration under President Obama has expressed its commitment to strengthen Indo-US bilateral relations further, building upon the existing level of cooperation in various areas of bilateral and global engagement.

Both Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and President Obama share the belief that this will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, she stated.

Ms. Rao said President Obama’s visit would “reflect this essential continuity in our relationship.”

“It will be an opportunity to once again underscore that our shared values of democracy, openness, pluralism and fundamental freedoms form the bedrock of our strategic partnership. It will be an opportunity to consolidate our relationship.”

Nirupama Rao said: “We will see concrete and significant steps in a wide range of areas that will expand the long term strategic framework of the relationship in a way that we can create a productive partnership for the mutual benefit of our two countries and, equally important, to give substantive content and shape to our global strategic partnership.”

“We will discuss ways in which we can further boost our economic ties and realise the enormous potential of our economic cooperation,” she added.

The Foreign Secretary said: “The US Administration under President Obama has expressed its commitment to strengthen Indo-US bilateral relations further, building upon the existing level of cooperation in various areas of bilateral and global engagement.”

“Our Prime Minister looks forward to continuing his extremely productive dialogue with President Obama on a range of issues, including the global economic situation; the threat of terrorism; the challenges in our neighbourhood; and our shared goals of sustained security, stability and prosperity in Asia,” she added.

The Foreign Secretary said, “We look forward to this visit as an important milestone in elevating our global strategic partnership to a new level.” (ANI)