US flipflop offers…

This topic is about the US. How on earth can we take those offerings serious? This time it is about India but it could be Pakistan and China for exactly the same.

Indo-US high-tech talks make headway

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday reported “substantial progress” in talks with a senior US official on cooperation in advanced technology, weeks after Washington lifted curbs on high-tech defence exports to New Delhi.

The two countries have identified four sectors for potential collaboration: biotechnology, nanotechnology, advanced information technology and defence technology. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of atoms and molecules to create materials with new properties. Christina Rocca, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, was to discuss the scope of the planned cooperation with S Jai Shankar, a joint secretary in India’s External Affairs Ministry, and other officials, said David Kennedy, a US Embassy spokesman.

Since January 2004, the two sides have pursued what they call the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership, or NSSP. That includes expanding cooperation in civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programmes and high-technology trade. The two countries have also agreed to expand dialogue on missile defence.

“The group made substantial progress on the implementation of Phase I of NSSP and held discussions on Phase II,” India’s External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. It said the group would meet again “shortly.”

On Wednesday, Rocca met with Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran shortly after she arrived from Pakistan, where she encouraged Pakistani leaders to continue peace negotiations with India.

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US may impose fresh sanctions on India: Report
Press Trust of India
Washington, October 22

The Bush Administration will not only maintain the sanctions on two Indian scientists, but has approved additional curbs that could be imposed on New Delhi “in near future” in response to “other Indian transfers of weapons-related goods to Iran,” The Washington Times reported.

The sanctions on the scientists Dr VS Prasad and Dr Surender, who have denied involvement in any proliferation related activity, are largely symbolic, the paper said, adding the curbs bar the duo from doing business with US government or acquiring American goods requiring export licences.

More significant are what may follow, it said and quoted an unnamed US official as saying that “US plans for expanding cooperation with India in the area of high technology and defence goods have been made more difficult by India’s trade with Iran.”

The proposed additional sanctions, it said, were to be discussed in New Delhi between Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca and Indian officials.

“A US trade official said the technology dialogue with India has produced assurances that New Delhi will not provide weapons-related technology to Iran. Also, the government has agreed to allow a US export control official to be posted at the US embassy in New Delhi to monitor sensitive US technology transfers.

“The official said the two scientists’ activities did not appear to be sanctioned by the Indian government. There are problems and we’re trying to address them in our dialogue,” the paper said