India-US discuss collaboration in Science and Tech

Washington, May 1: India and US has discussed continued and new cooperation on protecting the global environment, underscoring the importance of ongoing collaboration in science and technology and public health.

They explored increased coordination of efforts to strengthen democratic principles and institutions worldwide.

These discussions took place here yesterday at the fifth meeting of the US-India Global Issues Forum.

Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula J Dobriansky led the US delegation, while the Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon.

The US-India Global Issues Forum, which convenes annually and alternates between New Delhi and Washington, was initiated in New Delhi in October 2002.

The two delegations engaged in productive discussions on working together to address global challenges, said a joint press release issued here last night at the end of the forum meeting.

The two sides examined new and expanded areas for US-India cooperation.

Those areas included issues related to the promotion of democratic values and human rights, protection of the vulnerable, and environmental conservation and sustainable development.

Mr Menon, who is on a two-day visit here, will meet US Undersecretary of State for political affairs later today to discuss the US-India civilian nuclear deal the negotiations on which appear to have reached a stalemate.

According to sources, efforts would be made to reconcile the differences over the 123 agreement, a prerequisite for the implementation of the nuclear deal.

Mr Menon has arrived here following the failure of the efforts of the experts of the two countries to make any headway at their meeting early this month at Cape Town in South Africa.

Sources maintain that the differences are over India's insistence to retain its right to conduct nuclear tests, if necessary, in future, which apparently is unacceptable to the United States.

Sources say, the acceptance of India's demand envisages an amendment to the US non-proliferation laws which the US finds difficult to concede.

UNI