India, US set to embark on dramatic expansion of ties: Clinton

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jun 18 (PTI) Looking forward to her visit
to India, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said New
Delhi and Washington were ready to embark to the next stage of
relations which would see a "dramatic expansion" in common
agenda and a greater role for India in solving global
challenges.

"We see India as one of a few key partners worldwide
who will help us shape the 21st century," Clinton said in
Obama administration's first major policy reference to India.

Stating that the Indo-US nuclear deal had removed the
"final barriers" to broader cooperation between the two
countries, Clinton, who will be in New Delhi for high-level
talks in July, said that the two countries were set to realise
a "3.0 relationship", using the web language.

As part of the strategy, Clinton, speaking to top
American and Indian corporate executives at the US Chamber of
Commerce building yesterday, said India and the US would
expand broader security relationship and increased cooperation
on counter-terrorism and intelligence sharing.

Saying that US and India had faced extraordinary
challenges, Clinton referred to the tragic Mumbai attacks and
said, "the President and I are committed to working with India
in whatever way is appropriate to enhance India's ability to
protect itself."

The US Secretary of State also touched on need to
adapt the architecture of international institutions to
reflect their new responsibilities and in this context she
said, "India's moral stature and its long tradition of
leadership among developing countries means it is well suited
to take on challenges that multi-institution face."

In an apparent reference to India's efforts for a seat
in the UN security Council, Clinton said, "India already is a
major player on the world stage, and we look to cooperate with
New Delhi as it shoulders the responsibilities that accompany
its new position of global leadership."

"I have always believed states should be awarded
enhanced roles in international bodies not only on the basis
of their power, but whether they use that power constructively
to advance the common good and address global problems, she
said.

India and US need to catch up with their growing
people-to-people and economic ties, Clinton said, adding "we
need to make sure that partnership between Washington and New
Delhi will be as advanced and fruitful as the linkages that
already exists between Manhattan and Mumbai, Boston and
Bangalore.

She said the new governments in Washington and New
Delhi will build this future together and "we will be
discussing the details of that partnership when I visit India
next month."

"We recognise the extraordinary progress that India
has made already. And we know that many of these advances have
not come easily. And we don't take them for granted. As we
pursue an enhanced bilateral partnership, we should recognise
that compared to other metrics of our cooperation, our
official ties are past due for an upgrade," Clinton said.

She hoped that an expanded partnership between the US
and India will be one of the signature accomplishments of both
new governments in both countries.

"I do plan to make that a personal priority,"she said.

"To achieve the goal of stronger ties between our
countries, we will have to confront and transcend the mistrust
that has hampered our cooperation in the past, and address the
lingering uncertainties in our relationship still today,"
Clinton said.

She said the Obama Administration wants India to be
anchor of regional peace and stability and that the two
countries should create a new era of relationship.

Noting that the successes and futures of the United
States and India are intertwined, Clinton told a packed hall
of top Indian and US corporate leaders: "We want India to do
well on its own, for its own sake, but we also have a stake in
that outcome because we want India to succeed as a model of
democratic development."

"We want India to succeed as an anchor for regional
and global security, and we want India to succeed so that the
world's two largest democracies can work together as strong
partners," she said. PTI LKJ
AM


US allows GE India to get restricted technology

Lalit K Jha

Washington, June 18 (PTI) The US has allowed General
Electric India to receive certain controlled American
technology items without an individual licence.

US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said GE India has been
given the validated end-user (VEU) status, whereby the company
would be able to receive certain controlled US technology,
including civilian aircraft technology and explosive detection
equipment, facilitating the flow of trade between the nations.

Locke said GE India would become eligible as a validated
end-user later this month after the regulation is published in
the Federal Register.

"This is an important step in enabling a more rapid and
efficient flow of sensitive technology between India and the
United States," Locke said in his remarks to the US-India
Business Council's 34th Anniversary 'Synergies Summit'.

"It also is a significant effort to build trust between
the United States and India. We're looking forward to
reciprocal actions from our partner," he said.

He encouraged additional Indian firms to take advantage
of the VEU programme.

The VEU programme is administered by the Department of
Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security and implemented by
an inter-agency committee of representatives from the
Departments of Commerce, State, Defence, Energy and, when
appropriate, the Treasury.

Commerce Acting Under Secretary for Industry and Security
Daniel Hill said, "The VEU program is a significant initiative
that promotes high technology trade while protecting US
national security."

"We hope that other companies will take advantage of this
new program designed to facilitate trade with trusted
partners," he said. PTI LKJ
AM


Dreaded dacoit shot dead in encounter

Chitrakoot (UP), Jun 18 (PTI) Dreaded dacoit, Ghanshyam
Kewat, who had engaged some 400 securitymen for over 52 hours,
was finally shot today in an encounter with police.

Sources said that Ghanshyam was killed in village Jamauli
in Rajapur area, over 120 kms from Allahabad, in India's
northern part when he was challenged by the police, who lost
its four men in the fierce encounter. PTI AVS
AM




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