India and the US announced their decision to treat each other as closest partners with respect to defence technology transfer. The joint declaration, which came after the Manmohan Singh-Barack Obama meeting, said the US continues to support India’s full membership in the four international export control regimes, which will further facilitate technology sharing.
In the run-up to the meeting, there were searching queries on whether the US was pursuing a defence trade initiative (which implies merely hawking its military goods) as opposed to the defence technology initiative (which implies sharing and transfer) which India sought. The joint declaration indicates it will be both, and beyond, going into the collaborative sphere.
The two sides, says the declaration, will continue their efforts to strengthen mutual understanding of their respective procurement systems and approval processes, and to address process-related difficulties in defence trade, technology transfer, and collaboration. And to make sure that it is not all words, the two sides also put a time frame, saying they look forward to the identification of specific opportunities for cooperative and collaborative projects in advanced defence technologies and systems, within the next year. Recognizing the persistent differences on end-user agreements and other such wrinkles, the declaration said such opportunities would be pursued by both sides in accordance with their national policies and procedures in a manner that would reflect the full potential of the relationship.
Elsewhere, the declaration said the two sides will work to improve licensing processes and, where applicable, follow expedited licence approval processes to facilitate this cooperation. They are also committed to protecting each other’s sensitive technology and information, it added.
The defence declaration “emphasized the need for more intensive defence cooperation on both sides”, the joint statement said. The leaders reaffirmed their desire to further strengthen defence trade cooperation, endorsing a joint declaration on defence cooperation as a means of enhancing their partnership in defence technology transfer, joint research, co-development, and co-production, it added. Obama, it said, encouraged the further participation of US firms in partnering India’s efforts to enhance its defence capacities. There was no specific mention of the guns and planes—additional C-130Js, Chinooks, Apaches-—that New Delhi reportedly wants to buy from the US. But the joint declarations make one thing clear—everything is on the table, including hardware that some formal allies can’t get their hands on.
Five years after India and the US signed a landmark civil nuclear deal, the two countries have clinched the first commercial agreement on civilian nuclear power cooperation that was stalled over India’s nuclear liability law.
President Barack Obama announced the agreement after his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House Oval Office.
“We’ve made enormous progress on the issue of civilian nuclear power, and in fact, have been able to achieve just in the last few days an agreement on the first commercial agreement between a US company and India on civilian nuclear power,” Obama said.
Later in a joint statement, the two leaders noted that with government-to-government procedures agreed, commercial negotiations between India’s nuclear operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and US firm Westinghouse are proceeding. A fact sheet issued by the White House said this agreement should facilitate progress toward licensing the AP-1000 nuclear reactor technology in India.
Noting that the Indian government is planning to develop commercial nuclear power sites in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh using US nuclear technology, it said both governments also decided to complete discussions on the administrative arrangements at an early date. The two leaders urged NPCIL and US companies Westinghouse and General Electric-Hitachi to expedite the necessary work to establish nuclear power plants in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. “Both sides reaffirm their commitment to the full and timely implementation of the India-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement,” the joint statement said.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) intend to sign a memorandum of understanding for the exchange of technical information in nuclear safety matters, the fact sheet said. This arrangement should solidify close cooperation between the regulators, it noted.
In the run-up to the meeting, there were searching queries on whether the US was pursuing a defence trade initiative (which implies merely hawking its military goods) as opposed to the defence technology initiative (which implies sharing and transfer) which India sought. The joint declaration indicates it will be both, and beyond, going into the collaborative sphere.
The two sides, says the declaration, will continue their efforts to strengthen mutual understanding of their respective procurement systems and approval processes, and to address process-related difficulties in defence trade, technology transfer, and collaboration. And to make sure that it is not all words, the two sides also put a time frame, saying they look forward to the identification of specific opportunities for cooperative and collaborative projects in advanced defence technologies and systems, within the next year. Recognizing the persistent differences on end-user agreements and other such wrinkles, the declaration said such opportunities would be pursued by both sides in accordance with their national policies and procedures in a manner that would reflect the full potential of the relationship.
Elsewhere, the declaration said the two sides will work to improve licensing processes and, where applicable, follow expedited licence approval processes to facilitate this cooperation. They are also committed to protecting each other’s sensitive technology and information, it added.
The defence declaration “emphasized the need for more intensive defence cooperation on both sides”, the joint statement said. The leaders reaffirmed their desire to further strengthen defence trade cooperation, endorsing a joint declaration on defence cooperation as a means of enhancing their partnership in defence technology transfer, joint research, co-development, and co-production, it added. Obama, it said, encouraged the further participation of US firms in partnering India’s efforts to enhance its defence capacities. There was no specific mention of the guns and planes—additional C-130Js, Chinooks, Apaches-—that New Delhi reportedly wants to buy from the US. But the joint declarations make one thing clear—everything is on the table, including hardware that some formal allies can’t get their hands on.
Five years after India and the US signed a landmark civil nuclear deal, the two countries have clinched the first commercial agreement on civilian nuclear power cooperation that was stalled over India’s nuclear liability law.
President Barack Obama announced the agreement after his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House Oval Office.
“We’ve made enormous progress on the issue of civilian nuclear power, and in fact, have been able to achieve just in the last few days an agreement on the first commercial agreement between a US company and India on civilian nuclear power,” Obama said.
Later in a joint statement, the two leaders noted that with government-to-government procedures agreed, commercial negotiations between India’s nuclear operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and US firm Westinghouse are proceeding. A fact sheet issued by the White House said this agreement should facilitate progress toward licensing the AP-1000 nuclear reactor technology in India.
Noting that the Indian government is planning to develop commercial nuclear power sites in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh using US nuclear technology, it said both governments also decided to complete discussions on the administrative arrangements at an early date. The two leaders urged NPCIL and US companies Westinghouse and General Electric-Hitachi to expedite the necessary work to establish nuclear power plants in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. “Both sides reaffirm their commitment to the full and timely implementation of the India-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement,” the joint statement said.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) intend to sign a memorandum of understanding for the exchange of technical information in nuclear safety matters, the fact sheet said. This arrangement should solidify close cooperation between the regulators, it noted.
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