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US no longer asking India to sign NPT: Sibal
Washington, July 03: Favouring a vibrant high-technology trade relationship with India, US is no longer asking New Delhi to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and is expected to liberalise its exports of dual use goods later this year.
Washington, July 03: Favouring a vibrant high-technology trade relationship with India, US is no longer asking New Delhi to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and is expected to liberalise its exports of dual use goods later this year.
"The US is no longer asking India to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or Fullscope safeguards," foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal told reporters here yesterday after the conclusion of the two-day meeting of the Indo-US High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG).
"Though they (US) have their laws restricting exports of strategic goods to non-signatories, they have found that there is room for further libralisation without changing the laws, and how far they can go will probably be known by November by the next meeting of the HTCG in New Delhi," Sibal said.
He said more liberalisation of US exports of high-technology, dual use goods is expected by the next meeting of the HTCG in New Delhi, probably in November. The two governments had agreed to form the HTCG in November 2002 to facilitate and promote bilateral high-technology trade, including trade in dual-use goods and technologies, as part of the broad commitment by US President George W Bush and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to transform the relationship between the two countries.
US under secretary of commerce Kenneth I Juster, who led the American side at the meeting said, "Creating the conditions for a vibrant high-technology trade relationship is a key component of the administration's overall agenda for fundamentally transforming US-Indian relations."
"Both sides discussed changes in policy and regulation that can facilitate such trade and strengthen controls on the possible diversion of sensitive items," he said adding that the meeting was an important step in this process. The two sides discussed a wide range of issues relevant to creating the conditions for more robust bilateral high-technology trade, including market access, tariff and non-tariff barriers, strategic trade and export controls.
"We look forward to working cooperatively with India in the future to build on the progress that we have made today," Juster said. Bureau Report
"Though they (US) have their laws restricting exports of strategic goods to non-signatories, they have found that there is room for further libralisation without changing the laws, and how far they can go will probably be known by November by the next meeting of the HTCG in New Delhi," Sibal said.
He said more liberalisation of US exports of high-technology, dual use goods is expected by the next meeting of the HTCG in New Delhi, probably in November. The two governments had agreed to form the HTCG in November 2002 to facilitate and promote bilateral high-technology trade, including trade in dual-use goods and technologies, as part of the broad commitment by US President George W Bush and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to transform the relationship between the two countries.
US under secretary of commerce Kenneth I Juster, who led the American side at the meeting said, "Creating the conditions for a vibrant high-technology trade relationship is a key component of the administration's overall agenda for fundamentally transforming US-Indian relations."
"Both sides discussed changes in policy and regulation that can facilitate such trade and strengthen controls on the possible diversion of sensitive items," he said adding that the meeting was an important step in this process. The two sides discussed a wide range of issues relevant to creating the conditions for more robust bilateral high-technology trade, including market access, tariff and non-tariff barriers, strategic trade and export controls.
"We look forward to working cooperatively with India in the future to build on the progress that we have made today," Juster said. Bureau Report