External Affairs Minister S M Krishna Monday said that Indo-US ties throws limitless opportunities for both the nations as he joined Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton in observing that their partnership is going to be an important aspect of the 21st century.
As India moves ahead to achieve its priority tasks of economic and social transformation to allow its people to realise their full potential, India, he said has an increasing and well-justified stake in a stable international order.
"We are committed to working with the international community to find solutions to the pressing global challenges of the day," he said in his opening remarks to the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue.
Launching the first-ever Indo-US Strategic Dialogue along with Krishna, Clinton said America felt that India had not "fully embraced" its role in regional and global affairs.
Krishna said that, "Today, our two countries share an increasing convergence of interests on a whole range of global issues. Our two nations have been shaped by enduring foundation values of openness, pluralism and tolerance.
These inspirational values and interests provide us the opportunity to work together to meet the challenges of the 21st century."
"I truly believe that ours is a relationship of limitless opportunities for mutual benefit.
This confidence comes from not just the improvement in the relations between our two governments, but also from the vibrant cross-cutting and dynamic linkages between our energetic and dynamic peoples," he said.
Indeed the creativity, the imagination and the enterprise of our two peoples has contributed immensely to the improvement of our relations, he added.
"I believe that our discussions today will build upon these successes and strengthen our multifaceted relationship," the Minister said.
Krishna said the two countries have enormous
opportunities to deepen cooperation in trade and investment and in creating jobs and opportunities.
"I am happy therefore that we have launched a new 'Financial and Economic Partnership' as well as a 'Framework for Cooperation on Trade and Investment' that should help us to reach new heights in bilateral trade and investment," he
said.
US on Thursday said it was "definitely committed" to consider India for a permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council but rued that
there was no international consensus yet on the reforms of the world body.
Addressing a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna after the inaugural session of the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US was committed to consider India for the
membership.
"We don't have any way forward yet on the United Nations Security Council reforms but we are obviously very committed to considering India. At this point, as you probably know, there is no consensus over all," Clinton said in a
response to a query what is stopping the US from endorsing India for a permanent membership in an expanded UNSC.
She said in multilateral forums things move slowly and that there was no consensus yet on the issue of the reforms of the world body.
"...but we are definitely committed to the
consideration of India," she said.
Earlier, in her opening remarks at the Dialogue, Clinton said India's rise would "certainly be a factor in any future consideration of the reforms" of the United Nations.
Krishna also sought the US to relax export control restrictions on high-tech goods sought by India.
Earlier, in her opening remarks at the start of the dialogue, Clinton said: "India is a rising global power and already a regional power in Asia. Thus more the need to work closely with India to meet the immediate challenges in the
neighbourhood including Afghanistan."
"India and the US must play a leading role in shaping the destiny of the 21st century," he said.
Hailing India's contribution towards rebuilding of Afghanistan, Clinton said New Delhi has stakes in the future of the trouble-torn country.
"In this dialogue, we will confront regional issues, most importantly securing Afghanistan's future. India and the US and countries of the world have a stake in Afghanistan and India's contribution to Afghanistan's future, including 1.3 billion dollar assistance have been positive and significant," she said.
She talked about "doubts in America that India hasn't fully embraced its role in regional and global affairs or will not make the economic reforms needed to faster additional progress.
"So with this dialogue, the level of confidence that we have established by ourselves, we will confront these concerns directly and candidly."
In his opening remarks, Krishna said, "We both have an abiding interest in a stable international order and in the maintenance of peace and stability in Asia and beyond, and a
tremendous opportunity is now before us to work together to achieve this objective."
At the joint interaction, Clinton thanked Krishna for India's generous contributions in Afghanistan.
"It is clear that what India has been doing in
development projects are very significant, and we look forward to finding ways to collaborate," she said.
Observing that charting an energy future that is secure and sustainable is a crucial challenge for both the countries, she said: "I'm pleased that we have completed a nuclear reprocessing agreement nearly six months ahead of schedule, underlying our commitment to the civil nuclear
accord of 2008."
"We are building on the partnership to advance clean energy established by President Obama and Minister Singh, including by expanding our work together on energy efficiency,
smart grids, force management and so much else. And we are committed to working on an action plan on shale-gas cooperation prior to President Obama's trip to India."
On economy, she said the two delegation discussed the importance of capitalising on the doubling of their trade over the last five years, bringing together experts from across our
government to focus on macroeconomic policy, financial-sector reforms and infrastructure financing.
Clinton said US and Indian Cabinet secretaries and ministers will meet on June 22nd in Washington with the members of the US-India CEO Forum to hear recommendations on specific steps the two governments can take to expand trade
and investment.
She said the dialogue must extend beyond these
official channels "to our homes, our businesses, our communities, our universities, every aspect of our respective societies -- to build mutual understanding and respect between our peoples."
Krishna noted that the institution of the Strategic Dialogue was a reflection of the deepening and broadening of our relations between the two countries.
In her unusually lengthy speech - lasting more than 13 minutes -- Clinton touched upon a wide range of issues from counter-terrorism to climate change, clean energy, food
security, international security, bilateral cooperation in the education sector, the civilian nuclear deal and went on to praise India's role in Afghanistan.
She assured the Indian delegation that the US is well aware of India's concerns in the region, Afghanistan in particular and would work with New Delhi to address those.
Krishna said the global nature of the security
challenges being faced today, particularly the threat posed by transnational terrorism, requires the two countries to cooperate more closely than ever before.
"Though the epicenter of this threat lies in India's neighborhood, it reaches far and wide all across the world as we have seen time and again and most recently a few weeks back
in Times Square," he said in an apparent reference to Pakistan.
"Given the fact that the groups who preach the ideology of hatred and violence are increasingly coalescing, sharing resources and operating as one, it is incumbent upon all of us, to focus our efforts laser-like on every one of
them," he said.
Targeting only one or other of such groups would only provide false comfort in the short term and will not usher in long term stability," he said in an obvious reference to
Pakistan's inability to act against LeT, blamed for the Mumbai attacks.
Besides Krishna, other members of the Indian
delegation are HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Minister of State for Science and Technology, Prithviraj Chavan, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Foreign Secretary
Nirupama Rao.
The US delegation included Energy Secretary Steven Chu; Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns and Deputy National Security Adviser Michale Froman.