Date: May 14, 2002
Introduction: Text of speech by
Christina B Rocca, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs
Thank you for those kind words,
Bob. We in Washington know how fortunate we are to have you here as American
Ambassador to India. You are doing a superb job and you personally have
done so much to push this bilateral relationship forward.
Distinguished members of the Confederation
of Indian Industry, Ladies and Gentlemen: Thank you for asking me to speak
to this distinguished gathering. I am pleased to have this opportunity
to talk to you about the transformation in relations between the United
States and India. Our two democracies are working together more intensely
than ever before to make the world freer, more peaceful, and more prosperous.
From the start of his Administration,
President Bush has sought a global approach to US-India relations to engage
India on the whole range of issues that currently confront the international
community. No matter what the issue, whether it is counter-terrorism, national
defense, global climate change, international commerce or preventing HIV/AIDS,
the President has looked to India as a partner.
The most topical area of this partnership
is in our military to military relations, and these offer an impressive
illustration of the way in which India-US ties are moving from the discussion
stage to active cooperation.
Today, not far from Agra, Indian
paratroopers and American special operations forces are participating in
their largest-ever joint army and air exercise since India's independence.
Although I love Agra, and fondly remember my first visit there, I certainly
do not envy our soldiers and flight crews their first visit in this heat.
The specific goal of the exercise
is to conduct joint parachute training and mutual familiarization with
small arms. But the larger, long-term goal is much more ambitious, and
is based on strategic, diplomatic and political cooperation as well as
sound economic ties. Military to military cooperation, long a subject of
discussion between us, is now producing tangible progress towards this
objective. Indian and US military forces are now actively developing the
capability to work together effectively. Such cooperative activity between
military organizations is a normal aspect of relations between friendly
countries and I anticipate more such exercises to follow Agra.
Even though this joint exercise
is an important milepost, it is only the latest indicator of the impressive
growth in military cooperation between India and the United States. The
US and Indian navies have also conducted exercises and US Navy ships have
made seven port visits in the past few months.
The Defence Policy Group was revived
in December and will hold its second meeting next week, on May 21. It provides
the framework for planning and coordination for our military relationship.
Within that framework, other bodies, such as the Executive Steering Groups
for the Army, Navy and Air Force and functional working groups have discussed
technological and research and development cooperation, sales and licensing
issues and peacekeeping cooperation.
The defense supply relationship
between Indian and America has been notable in that it involves the private
sector as well as government. I was pleased to see that CII, our National
Defense Industrial Association and the US India Business Council co-hosted
a day of important interaction between our defense industries. Furthermore,
our armed services are determining areas of mutual interest in basic research
for military purposes and identification of areas for joint work in future
defense system development.
In late April, we capped all of
this activity with the visit of Assistant Secretary of State Lincoln Bloomfield.
He was in New Delhi to begin a formal political military dialogue that,
along with the visit to Washington by India's Chief of the Army Staff,
will help both our countries better appreciate each other's national goals
and military strategies as well as coordinate our defense trade.
The growing military relationship
is one important element of the far broader process of transformation occurring
between our two countries in the areas of strategic and technical cooperation.
But there are others. The communiqué issued at the end of the November
Summit meetings between President Bush and Prime Minister Vajpayee in Washington
commits both countries to expanding the scope of our defense-related ties,
strengthening our collaboration regarding President Bush's new strategic
framework, resuming cooperation on civilian nuclear safety and in space
science. The Administration remains committed to these goals, and will
continue to seek creative and productive ways to implement them.
Nonproliferation remains an important
item on our bilateral agenda, which we are addressing through cooperation
and mutual understanding. One area in which there is great scope for cooperation
is on export controls. We have already had a series of expert-level discussions
and conducted training for Indian customs officials. This cooperation should
expand over time, encompassing dialogue, information sharing, training
and other assistance. We are confident that the Indian government shares
our concerns about preventing the spread of sensitive technologies since
the diffusion of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and missiles pose a
serious threat to the security of both our countries.
India and the US are also working
together to stimulate bilateral high technology commerce and are discussing
several ideas toward that end. We have agreed to the resumption of three
nuclear safety-related projects. The chairman of India's Space Research
Organization has met in the US with American counterparts to expand civilian
space cooperation on areas such as weather, migration and communications.
Over the past several months, the
US and India have built a vibrant relationship in the war against terrorism.
This began immediately after the September 11 attacks on the United States,
when Prime Minister Vajpayee and other Indian leaders offered their help
ungrudgingly and generously. This offer was a splendid act of solidarity
with the American people at a time of urgent need.
South Asia is a key front in the
global war on terrorism. And India has been a vital ally in the campaign
to destroy the al-Qaida organisation, extract it from its safe havens and
end its predations against the Afghan people. Dismantling the structure
of extremism and terror must go hand in hand with addressing and eliminating
its root causes. Achieving these goals in South Asia has involved diplomatic
efforts on many fronts:
The diplomatic cooperation between
India and America in pursuit of these goals has been unprecedented in our
relationship. We have worked together in the UN to build support for UNSCR
1373 and the India-sponsored Comprehensive Convention Against International
Terrorism. Our cooperation has contributed to the arrest of hundreds of
terrorists around the world. The United States and India have moved in
unison to strangle the financial assets of terrorists and well over 100
nations have issued blocking orders and frozen assets used to finance their
attacks.
Moving from diplomatic efforts against
terrorism to the more practical aspects of our struggle, I am pleased that
US-India counter-terrorism cooperation is rapidly maturing. The US-India
Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism predates 9/11 and continues to
expand and deepen. Convening for the fourth time in January, the US and
India broke new ground across the full range of counter-terrorist efforts
including intelligence sharing, training, terrorism finance and money laundering,
border security, and cyber-terrorism.
On broader law enforcement issues,
we also are steadily increasing the number of our joint activities. We
signed a new bilateral treaty last October providing for cooperation and
mutual legal assistance, that makes it easier for American and Indian law
enforcement agencies to tackle international crime.
As the two top centers of development
of computer software in the world, India and the US are natural partners
in another front of the war against terrorism - cyber terrorism. Just over
two weeks ago our two countries held their first formal consultations on
how to combat new emerging threats to our critical national infrastructures.
The talks involved representatives of government agencies as well as academic
experts and marked the start of a regular interaction on cyber security.
Our professional-level dialogue, conducted, from here on, through the new
US-India Cyber-Security Forum, will be continuous as we work to protect
both Indian and American societies from the threats of cyber attack. We
will hold the next JWG in Washington in July.
The success of the Bonn Conference
that established an interim government in Afghanistan owes much to US-Indian
cooperation. Working together, American and Indian negotiators convinced
Afghan participants to reach agreement on the Bonn Accords. But Bonn was
just the beginning. Afghanistan will require constant and intense international
attention and support in order to overcome the legacy of more than 20 years
of violence.
Accomplishing this task will be
exceedingly difficult for the Afghans, even with outside help. India-US
collaboration will play a crucial role in meeting the challenge of restoring
stability in Afghanistan. India, like the United States, has been a major
contributor of relief and reconstruction assistance for that blighted country.
An even greater challenge, and one
I anticipate with real optimism, is to repeat our mutually supportive diplomatic
efforts for all of South Asia, the adjoining regions of Southeast Asia,
Central Asia and the Middle East, and the world as a whole, including close
cooperation within the UN system. The United States and India remain co-chairs
of the Community of Democracies and will continue to work together to promote
democracy throughout the world. Our collaboration can only make the world
a safer and more just place.
The pace of our engagement on the
economic front has also picked up. Since January, we've seen visits by
senior USG officials from the Departments of Treasury, Energy and Commerce
and from the Environmental Protection Agency. During the same period, Ministers
Sinha and Mahajan and other cabinet rank officers of the Indian Government
have been in the United States for productive discussions with their counterparts.
We look forward to enhancing these kinds of interactions under the framework
of the US-India Economic Dialogue, which the President and Prime Minister
reinvigorated last November. With the active participation of our respective
private sectors, the Economic Dialogue can and will play an important role
in helping us realize the enormous potential of our economic relationship.
Our partnership extends from the
macro level of politics, economics and diplomacy to the community level
where HIV/AIDS has become a growing problem. Here, the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) supports two major bilateral projects and is planning
to incorporate HIV prevention into other activities.
It is clear that our two countries
have embarked on a new and more productive course in bilateral relations.
This is a change that supports the interests of us both. The United States
is committed to move rapidly and decisively toward even greater cooperation
in this partnership of equals. I believe Indians are also excited about
the transformation of our relationship as it demonstrates your country's
assumption of ever-greater responsibilities as a major power in the region
and in the global arena.
The US-India relationship is entering
an exciting phase, a period of transformation which, if properly managed,
can bring great benefits to both our countries. This will require constant
attention and hard work. I think India and the United States have demonstrated
their willingness to do this hard work, to overcome difficulties and keep
our eyes on the benefits for us both. I am confident that together we will
succeed.
Thank you.
