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Senator Urges New Course With India

Senator Urges New Course With India

Author: J.M. SHENOY
Publication: Rediff on Net (US, Edition)
Date: February 13, 2001

The problems that America has with China should hasten the creation of a closer relationship with India, a powerful Republican senator said as he made a passionate plea for "across-the-board" close relations between New Delhi and Washington.

Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), the chairman of the Senate sub-committee on Near Eastern and South Asia Affairs, also urged the new administration to reverse Clinton Administration's position on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and India, remove all remaining economic sanctions on India, step up defense and security cooperation, and increase technical links.

"Our nations have much to offer each other," Brownback said in a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington on February 13. "India sees a threat from China, a nuclear nation with which it has fought war and which has spread its influence on all of India's borders-better relations with the U.S. are in India's interests."

"The US also has problems with China and clearly a closer relations with India would provide a strategic counterbalance in South Asia and help maintain regional stability," he added.

Among the issues he addressed was H-1B visas. "The Indian American community  is productive, creative and a very positive force in forging bonds between U.S. and India," he said. "Further development of high tech ties between our nations would help modernize India's economy and certainly serve to increase the cooperation between our countries." Brownback urged a "freer flow of high tech workers between our countries," though he did not specify numbers.

Talking of the sanctions that still are in force against India because of India's nuclear tests, Brownback said it was not fair to punish India because had not signed the CTBT).

He pointed out that among the sanctions that still remain is a ban on loans from the International Financial Institutions for other than humanitarian purposes.

The Clinton Administration had made it clear that the removal of U.S. opposition to World Bank lending is contingent on India signing CTBT, he said.

"The U.S. senate refused to ratify this treaty-it makes no sense that it should remain as an obstacle to better relations with India," he said.

Washington could taken ownership of a bold new course for India-U.S. relations by eliminating all unilateral sanctions against India.

Asserting that while India's overall tariffs have declined from 300 percent to 40 percent in 12 years, Brownback said they (the tariffs) remain on average the highest  outside of the Communist world."

He also brought attention to 200 Indian government and private agencies and firms which are on the American Entity List.

"It is generally agreed that the Entity List cast its net too broadly," Brownback said, "targeting entities that did not have any connection with nuclear weapons program."

"The list is a needless sore point in our improving bilateral relationship with India," he said.
 


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