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Skriven 2006-03-02 23:33:04 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0603025) for Thu, 2006 Mar 2
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U.S.-India Joint Statement
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 2, 2006

U.S.-India Joint Statement


˙˙˙˙˙President's Visit to India and Pakistan

President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed
satisfaction with the great progress the United States and India have made
in advancing our strategic partnership to meet the global challenges of the
21st century. Both our countries are linked by a deep commitment to freedom
and democracy; a celebration of national diversity, human creativity and
innovation; a quest to expand prosperity and economic opportunity
worldwide; and a desire to increase mutual security against the common
threats posed by intolerance, terrorism, and the spread of weapons of mass
destruction. The successful transformation of the U.S.-India relationship
will have a decisive and positive influence on the future international
system as it evolves in this new century.

Reviewing the progress made in deepening the global partnership between the
United States and India since their Joint Statement of July 18, 2005, the
President and the Prime Minister reaffirm their commitment to expand even
further the growing ties between their two countries. Consistent with this
objective, the two leaders wish to highlight efforts the United States and
India are making together in the following areas, where they have:

FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND TRADE

(1) Agreed to intensify efforts to develop a bilateral business climate
supportive of trade and investment by:
 1. Welcoming the report of the U.S.-India CEO Forum, agreeing to consider
    its recommendations aimed at substantially broadening our bilateral
    economic relations, and directing the Chairs of the Indo-U.S. Economic
    Dialogue to follow up expeditiously with the CEO Forum;
 2. Endorsing the efforts of the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum to reduce
    barriers to trade and investment with the goal of doubling bilateral
    trade in three years;
 3. Agreeing to advance mutually beneficial bilateral trade and investment
    flows by holding a high-level public-private investment summit in 2006,
    continuing efforts to facilitate and promote foreign direct investment
    and eliminate impediments to it, and enhancing bilateral consultations
    on various issues including tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in
    goods and services, and preventing the illicit use of the financial
    system.

(2) Sought to expand cooperation in agriculture by:
 1. Launching the Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture with a three-year
    financial commitment to link our universities, technical institutions,
    and businesses to support agriculture education, joint research, and
    capacity building projects including in the area of biotechnology.
 2. Endorsing an agreed workplan to promote bilateral trade in agriculture
    through agreements that: lay out a path to open the U.S. market to
    Indian mangoes, recognize India as having the authority to certify that
    shipments of Indian products to the United States meet USDA organic
    standards, and provide for discussions on current regulations affecting
    trade in fresh fruits and vegetables, poultry and dairy, and almonds.

(3) Reaffirmed their shared commitment to completing the WTO Doha
Development Agenda (DDA) before the end of 2006, and agreed to work
together to help achieve this outcome.

FOR ENERGY SECURITY AND A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

(1) Welcomed the successful completion of discussions on India's separation
plan and looked forward to the full implementation of the commitments in
the July 18, 2005 Joint Statement on nuclear cooperation. This historic
accomplishment will permit our countries to move forward towards our common
objective of full civil nuclear energy cooperation between India and the
United States and between India and the international community as a whole.

(2) Welcomed the participation of India in the ITER initiative on fusion
energy as an important further step towards the common goal of full nuclear
energy cooperation.

(3) Agreed on India's participation in FutureGen, an international
public-private partnership to develop new, commercially viable technology
for a clean coal near-zero emission power project. India will contribute
funding to the project and participate in the Government Steering Committee
of this initiative.

(4) Welcomed the creation of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean
Development and Climate, which will enable India and the U.S. to work
together with other countries in the region to pursue sustainable
development and meet increased energy needs while addressing concerns of
energy security and climate change. The Partnership will collaborate to
promote the development, diffusion, deployment and transfer of cleaner,
cost-effective and more efficient technologies and practices.

(5) Welcomed India's interest in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, an
international marine research endeavor that will contribute to long-term
energy solutions such as gas hydrates.

(6) Noting the positive cooperation under the Indo-U.S. Energy Dialogue,
highlighted plans to hold joint conferences on topics such as energy
efficiency and natural gas, to conduct study missions on renewable energy,
to establish a clearing house in India for coal-bed methane/coal-mine
methane, and to exchange energy market information.

FOR INNOVATION AND THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

(1) Emphasizing the importance of knowledge partnerships, announced the
establishment of a Bi-National Science and Technology Commission which the
U.S. and India will co-fund. It will generate collaborative partnerships in
science and technology and promote industrial research and development.

(2) Agreed that the United States and India would work together to promote
innovation, creativity and technological advancement by providing a vibrant
intellectual property rights regime, and to cooperate in the field of
intellectual property rights to include capacity building activities, human
resource development and public awareness programs.

(3) Agreed to continue exploring further cooperation in civil space,
including areas such as space exploration, satellite navigation, and earth
science. The United States and India committed to move forward with
agreements that will permit the launch of U.S. satellites and satellites
containing U.S. components by Indian space launch vehicles, opening up new
opportunities for commercial space cooperation between the two countries.

(4) Welcomed the inclusion of two U.S. instruments in the Indian lunar
mission Chandrayaan-1. They noted that memoranda of understanding to be
signed by ISRO and NASA would be significant steps forward in this area.

(5) Welcomed the U.S. Department of Commerce's plan to create a license
exception for items that would otherwise require an export license to
end-users in India engaged solely in civilian activities.

FOR GLOBAL SAFETY AND SECURITY

(1) Noted the enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation between the two
countries and stressed that terrorism is a global scourge that must be
fought and rooted out in every part of the world.

(2) Welcomed the increased cooperation between the United States and India
in the defense area, since the New Framework for the U.S.-India Defence
Relationship was signed on June 28, 2005, as evidenced by successful joint
exercises, expanded defence cooperation and information sharing, and
greater opportunities to jointly develop technologies and address security
and humanitarian issues.

(3) Reaffirmed their commitment to the protection of the free flow of
commerce and to the safety of navigation, and agreed to the conclusion of a
Maritime Cooperation Framework to enhance security in the maritime domain,
to prevent piracy and other transnational crimes at sea, carry out search
and rescue operations, combat marine pollution, respond to natural
disasters, address emergent threats and enhance cooperative capabilities,
including through logistics support. Both sides are working to finalize a
Logistics Support Agreement at the earliest.

(4) Welcomed India's intention to join the Container Security Initiative
aimed at making global maritime trade and infrastructure more secure and
reducing the risk of shipping containers being used to conceal weapons of
mass destruction.

(5) Reiterated their commitment to international efforts to prevent the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

(6) Building on the July 2005 Disaster Relief Initiative, noted the
important disaster management cooperation and their improved capabilities
to respond to disaster situations.

(7) Recognized the importance of capacity building in cyber security and
greater cooperation to secure their growing electronic interdependencies,
including to protect electronic transactions and critical infrastructure
from cybercrime, terrorism and other malicious threats.

DEEPENING DEMOCRACY AND MEETING INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGES

(1) Recalled their joint launch of the UN Democracy Fund in September 2005
and offered the experience and expertise of both Governments for capacity
building, training and exchanges to third countries that request such
assistance to strengthen democratic institutions.

(2) Welcomed the decision of India and the United States to designate a
representative to the Government Advisory Board of the International Centre
for Democratic Transition (ICDT) located in Budapest to facilitate
cooperative activities with ICDT.

(3) Agreed that the Virtual Coordination and Information Centres set up in
September 2005 should be further strengthened and a bilateral meeting aimed
at developing a practical programme for utilization of its services be held
soon.

(4) Expressed satisfaction at the expedited USFDA drug approval processes
that strengthen the combat against HIV/AIDS at the global level and
encourage greater corporate participation to meet this challenge, including
the establishment of the Indo-U.S. Corporate Fund for HIV/AIDS.

(5) Agreed to expand bilateral efforts and continue cooperation in the area
of medical research and strengthen technical capacity in food and drug
regulation in India as well as address the concern on avian influenza,
including agreement to reach out to the private sector, develop regional
communications strategies, and plan an in-region containment and response
exercise. The President welcomed India's offer to host the International
Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza meeting in 2007.

(6) Welcomed India's membership in the Coalition Against Wildlife
Trafficking, a partnership through which we will collaborate in the fight
against illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife parts; we also welcome the
opportunity to strengthen longstanding work together on the conservation of
wildlife through cooperation on park management and ecotourism.

President Bush thanked Prime Minister Singh and the people of India for the
warmth of their reception and the generosity of their hospitality.

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