The Hindu Business Line : US to ease export controls on India's space, nuclear facilities

ON the eve of the meeting between the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the US President, Mr George W. Bush, India and the US made a significant progress in bilateral relationships by marking a successful conclusion of the first phase in the `Next Steps in the Strategic Partnership (NSSP) initiative'.

"Implementation of the NSSP will lead to significant economic benefits for both countries and improve regional and global security," according to a joint press statement.

The US will ease export controls on the Indian civilian nuclear and space facilities. Since January, both Washington and New Delhi have been closely working to conclude phase one. This included the implementation of measures to address proliferation concerns and compliance with American export controls.

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

In Washington, concluding the first phase of the NSSP, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Shyam Saran, said this development opens the door for "more expanded interaction" in the space and nuclear fields.

The "nitty gritty details" will be available after certain administrative procedures are out of the way.

If the first phase of the NSSP deals with extended interaction in space, phase two is expected to focus on co-operation in nuclear fields.

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

The NSSP is a process and is not static. Only the first phase has been completed and will be followed by the second and third. The implication of all this is that the full process will go on for years and may not necessarily be confined to the currently identified fields.

Mr Saran's visit has to be also seen in the context of the forthcoming meeting between Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Bush on Tuesday.

There is no fixed agenda for the meeting, Mr Saran said, making the point that it was left to the two principals to talk what they want to.

There is the impression that Dr Singh and Mr Bush may want to focus on the areas of convergence in bilateral relationship and on regional and international issues including South Asia.

Indications are that there will be a strong economic component at the meetings and talks that Dr Singh will have with world leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.

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