Ahead of PM visit, Saran to do the groundwork in US

The subsequent visit by External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia — who is likely to head the Indian side — kicked off the discussion on the framework of the dialogue. From the outline under consideration, the energy dialogue will have up to five working groups. One of the groups will be dedicated to civilian nuclear energy cooperation, an area where India is hoping to corner major gains in the future.

Besides this, the components of the dialogue will be new and emerging technologies, the use of clean coal, hydrogen for producing energy, as well as oil and natural gas. The final layout of the dialgoue will be discussed during Saran’s visit and Principal Scientific Advisor to the PM R. Chidambaram, who will be in the US on May 19.

The Foreign Secretary is expected to meet the recently-appointed Counsellor in the US Department of State Philip Zelikow, who will be the pointperson for India-US relations from now on. A close associate of Rice since her days at the US National Security Council, Zelikow was the executive director of the 9/11 Commission and now advises Rice on key policy issues. The post had been lying vacant since 2001.

Saran will also meet with his counterpart in Washington, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, who has recently taken over from Marc Grossman.

Some elements of the strategic dialogue are expected to be finalised, as Saran will meet US Under Secretary of Defense Douglas Feith. This dialogue will also be broken up into various sub-groups to address issues like defence sales and co-production, non-proliferation issues, international and multilateral committments and trade facilitation for dual use items. In connection with dual use trade, efforts are underway to slot a meeting between Saran and Acting US Under Secretary of Commerce Peter Lichtenbaum. The joint working group on space cooperation that is to meet this month is also likely to be brought under the framework of strategic dialogue. The other area of emphasis is economic dialogue, which is now to acquire a more meaningful dimesnsion through the creation of a CEOs group, consisting of seven top CEOs from each country. The final membership has not yet been decided.

Meanwhile, sources said a host of ministerial visits are lined up before the PM’s trip, including that of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherje and Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal.