Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Clinton presses India on nuclear deal, pledges security cooperation
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President of the Indian National Congress and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi shake hands prior to a meeting at the Gandhi Residence in New Delhi.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged India to amend a law that has put off US companies from taking part in the $150 billion nuclear energy market and further open up Asia's third largest economy to foreign investment.
Clinton opened high-level US-Indian talks with a polite but firm push for New Delhi to get moving on key economic issues as both sides seek to firm up a relationship that thus far has promised more than it has delivered.
India's government has long pledged to open up the $1.6 billion economy but must also wrestle with local opposition fearing the loss of jobs to foreign companies.
Clinton also pledged strong US support for India's battle against extremism - underscored by last week's deadly triple bomb attack on Mumbai - and said she would press India's nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan to do more to crack down on militants believed to be operating from its territory.
Clinton's visit to India, her second as secretary of state, was aimed at building on progress made since US President Barack Obama visited in November and declared the two giant democracies were natural partners.
Since then, however, US hopes for swift implementation of the civilian nuclear deal have run into politically complicated legislative and regulatory hurdles that major US companies say block them from getting a piece of the action.
"We need to resolve those issues that still remain so that we can reap the rewards of the extraordinary work that both of our governments have done," Clinton said during a news conference with Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna.
The United States wants India to "tighten up" legislation to protect equipment makers from liability in case of nuclear accidents, saying it is much more stringent than comparable laws in other countries. General Electric and Westinghouse, the US-based arm of Japan's Toshiba Corp , are keen to take a slice of the market.
Clinton opened high-level US-Indian talks with a polite but firm push for New Delhi to get moving on key economic issues as both sides seek to firm up a relationship that thus far has promised more than it has delivered.
India's government has long pledged to open up the $1.6 billion economy but must also wrestle with local opposition fearing the loss of jobs to foreign companies.
Clinton also pledged strong US support for India's battle against extremism - underscored by last week's deadly triple bomb attack on Mumbai - and said she would press India's nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan to do more to crack down on militants believed to be operating from its territory.
Clinton's visit to India, her second as secretary of state, was aimed at building on progress made since US President Barack Obama visited in November and declared the two giant democracies were natural partners.
Since then, however, US hopes for swift implementation of the civilian nuclear deal have run into politically complicated legislative and regulatory hurdles that major US companies say block them from getting a piece of the action.
"We need to resolve those issues that still remain so that we can reap the rewards of the extraordinary work that both of our governments have done," Clinton said during a news conference with Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna.
The United States wants India to "tighten up" legislation to protect equipment makers from liability in case of nuclear accidents, saying it is much more stringent than comparable laws in other countries. General Electric and Westinghouse, the US-based arm of Japan's Toshiba Corp , are keen to take a slice of the market.
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