Extract: Indo-US Joint Statement

Advancing Global Security and Countering Terrorism

Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reiterated their shared goal of advancing security and stability across Asia, in particular, through the emergence of an open, balanced, and inclusive architecture of cooperation in the region. Secretary Clinton welcomed India’s leadership role in helping to shape the rise of a stable, peaceful and prosperous Asia. They shared their perspectives on South and Central Asia, East and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean regions and pledged to expand regular high-level exchanges on regional issues of mutual concern.

Secretary Clinton and Minister Krishna reiterated their shared interest and commitment to a stable, sovereign, democratic and pluralistic Afghanistan. They reiterated the importance of a sustained international commitment to Afghanistan that builds local capacities through Afghan-led initiatives. Secretary Clinton welcomed India’s vital contribution to reconstruction, capacity building and development efforts in Afghanistan and its offer to enhance efforts in this direction. Both sides pledged to explore opportunities for coordination on civilian assistance projects that advance Afghan self-sufficiency and build civilian capacity.

India and the U.S. committed to regularly consult with each other on Afghanistan. It is in our common interest that the people of Afghanistan succeed in their reconstruction and development efforts without outside interference, in an atmosphere free from violence and extremism. Afghanistan’s success is vital for the security and stability of the region.

Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton expressed grave concern over recent incidents in the United States and India that remind that terrorism and violent extremism know no boundaries and remain continuing threats to global, regional, and domestic security.

They acknowledged the importance of continued cooperation in efforts to defeat terrorism. They reaffirmed the critical principle that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism in any form. They called for swift and credible steps to eliminate terrorist safe havens and vowed to strengthen global consensus and legal regimes against terrorism, including by working together at the UN toward adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that strengthens our efforts in combating terrorism.

Both Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton heralded the unprecedented and expanding India-U.S. counterterrorism partnership, as embodied in the recently announced U.S.-India Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative to enhance collaboration, information sharing and capacity building. Secretary Clinton reiterated the continued U.S. commitment to provide full cooperation and support in ongoing counterterrorism investigations, including through continued exchanges of information between designated agencies and by bringing the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terrorism attack to justice.

Secretary Clinton and Minister Krishna also acknowledged the global dimension of cyberspace, the increasing interdependency in the area of information technology, and the excellent progress made in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Dialogue by the Indo-U.S. Working Group in this regard. They reiterated the necessity of building on this momentum to strengthen cooperative efforts in the area of ICT in general and also to address emerging transnational cyber-security challenges.

Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton expressed satisfaction with the strengthening of defense cooperation in recent years and stressed that security dialogues, service-level exchanges, and trade and technology transfer and collaboration on mutually determined terms were an intrinsic part of the strategic partnership and should be further strengthened. They welcomed the regular engagement of Armed Forces of both countries, including through conduct of joint military exercises. They recognized the scope for enhancement of defense trade between both countries to the mutual benefit of both sides.

Both countries pledged to continue to work together on areas of mutual interest including maritime security, counter-piracy, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and response.

Disarmament and Non Proliferation

Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reiterated the two countries’ shared vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and restated their commitment to address the challenges of global nuclear proliferation. Minister Krishna reiterated India’s appreciation for President Obama’s initiative to host the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC. They expressed satisfaction with the Summit’s outcome and the adoption of a Communiqué and Work Plan.

Secretary Clinton welcomed India’s announcement of establishing a Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership with focus on advanced nuclear energy systems, nuclear security, radiological safety and applications of radio isotopes and radiation technologies and appreciated India’s intent to welcome participation by international partner countries and IAEA in the work of the Centre.

They also committed to continue working together to achieve an early start of negotiations on a multilateral, non-discriminatory and internationally and effectively verifiable Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty at the Conference on Disarmament.

Energy Security, Clean Energy and Climate Change

The United States and India have taken crucial steps towards full implementation of civil nuclear cooperation. Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reiterated that nuclear energy can make a significant contribution to building a sustainable and clean energy future. They highlighted the Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Action Plan recently signed by the two countries.

They welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations on the Arrangements and Procedures Agreed between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of India pursuant to Article 6(iii) of the India-U.S. Agreement Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, which sets forth the arrangements and procedures for India’s reprocessing of U.S.-obligated spent nuclear fuel.

Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton discussed progress on energy and climate change issues since the signing of the U.S.-India Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Security, Clean Energy, and Climate Change. They stressed that the Clean Energy and Climate Change Initiative they finalized last year would contribute to achieving sustainable development and a clean energy future for the people of both countries. The goal of establishing a Joint Clean Energy Research Center and accelerating collaborative efforts to deploy clean energy technologies in both countries remains a priority. They reiterated that the “Partnership to Advance Clean Energy,” to be launched by both countries to take full advantage of multi-agency coordination and engagement with the private sector, constitutes an important step forward in developing and deploying clean energy.

They discussed their respective national action plans and initiatives to address the challenge of climate change. They noted the enormous potential for scientific and commercial collaboration in clean energy technologies and recognized that their respective experience and expertise in renewable energy and energy efficiency provided a sound platform for building their bilateral partnership further and supporting similar efforts in other countries, especially developing countries.

Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reaffirmed their support for the Copenhagen Accord as a positive step forward in meeting the global climate challenge, and underscored its importance in building consensus in the ongoing negotiations under the UNFCCC in pursuance of the Bali Action Plan, towards a successful outcome at the Sixteenth Conference of Parties at Cancun, Mexico, later this year.

They also welcomed the launch of the India-U.S. Climate Dialogue, which seeks to enhance bilateral U.S.-India cooperation with a view to achieving a successful outcome of the ongoing multilateral climate change negotiations. They reiterated the importance of the Climate Dialogue in focusing and coordinating both countries’ priorities in dealing with climate change consistent with their national policies and strategies. In this regard, both sides recognized that further cooperation in knowledge on climate science can enhance our shared understanding of the planet’s climate. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in the area of unconventional gas resources, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding to Enhance Cooperation on Energy Security, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy and Climate Change.

Secretary Clinton confirmed President Barack Obama’s intention to visit India this year at the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the leaders’ fourth substantive bilateral meeting.

The two sides plan to hold the next meeting of the Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi in the first half of 2011.