New Indo-US strategic partnership to have six pillars: Clinton

Lalit K Jha

Washington, July 16 (PTI) The new Indo-US strategic
partnership to be launched in New Delhi next week during US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit has six pillars
which include foreign policy, health, education, agriculture
and economy.

On the eve of her departure for India, with Mumbai being
her first stopover, the US Secretary of State said this would
be the "most wide-ranging" strategic dialogue ever between the
two countries.

"We are delighted that our two countries will be engaging
in a very broad, comprehensive dialogue. It is the most
wide-ranging that I think has ever been put on the table
between India and the US," Clinton said.

"It has six pillars to it, one of which, of course, is
foreign policy, strategic challenges, along with, you know,
other matters like health, and education, and agriculture and
the economy," she said. Noting that she would not like to
prejudge, Clinton said it is clear that everything is on the
table to discuss.

"We believe India has a tremendous opportunity and a
growing responsibility, which they acknowledge, to play not
just a regional role but a global one as well. How they choose
to define, that we will explore in-depth during the course of
our discussion," Clinton said.

The Secretary of State said there are a number of areas
where the US would welcome Indian leadership and involvement
that are difficult.

"There's nothing easy about nonproliferation. Anybody who
ever read Strobe Talbott's book, "Engaging India," knows that
it's a very difficult issue. But, we want to look at new ways
for global and regional regimes on weapons of mass
destruction, particularly nuclear," Clinton said.

"We're very interested in the role that India sees for
itself in the immediate area -- you mentioned Sri Lanka, what
are the, you know, military and particularly naval
implications of decisions that India is making going forward?"
she said in reply to a question. PTI LKJ