Space cooperation figures in Indo-US talks

Indo-US cooperation in civilian use of frontier areas of science and technology figured prominently in discussions External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha had on Wednesday in meetings with members of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House International Relations Committee.

"Most of our discussion focused on the announcement of increased cooperation in space, high-technology, and nuclear energy programs," said Representative Ed Royce, a Republican from California and a senior member of the House Committee on International Relations that hosted Sinha.

"This latest agreement between the United States and India shows that the interests of the world's two most-populous democracies are increasingly converging," he said alluding to last week's announcement of closer cooperation between the US and India. " We both agreed that this is very promising -- a huge opportunity for India and the United States," Royce, who chaired the meeting, said.

"I have been pushing for increased cooperation between the US and India in these areas for sometime -- it is great to see words turned into actions," Royce said.

At the meeting, Royce and others members expressed optimism about the recent steps being taken to improve Indo-Pak relations.  Royce also stated his support for the free trade agreement that was agreed to at the SAARC summit earlier this month. "India's growth as a world power is creating momentum for regional peace," he said.

On the last day of his three-day visit here, Sinha also met with the members of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. Before departing for India, Sinha attended a meeting with the representatives of leading think tanks from the Washington area hosted by Ambassador Lalit Mansingh at his residence.

During his meeting with the Congressional Caucus on India Sinha offered his insights to the lawmakers on a wide range of issues affecting India and the region. The goal of the meeting was to allow the Caucus members as well as Sinha the opportunity to have an open discussion about US-India relations and Indian foreign policy.  

"I am pleased that Minister Sinha was able to join us on Capitol Hill today," said Joseph Crowley, co-chair of the Caucus.

Crowley asked about the details on the expansion in non-military technology between the United States and India dealing with things such as non-military nuclear regulatory and safety issues to high-technology commerce.

The meeting also touched upon the current relations between India and Pakistan, specifically in relation to the recent peace overtures made at the SAARC summit.