The landmark Indo-US Civil nuclear deal will boost bilateral economic ties and address 'shared concerns' on energy security and climate change amid deepening strategic relations,according to India's envoy to America. Meera Shankar,the Indian ambassador to the United States,described relations between New Delhi and Washington as attaining "unprecedented progress." The envoy described the civil nuclear agreement as a "symbol of and instrument for the transformation in our relationship. Shankar underlined that the deal would "boost bilateral economic ties and also address our shared concerns on energy security and climate change." She noted that India would increase nuclear energy generation from 4,000 MW at present to 20,000 MW by 2020. "India is today the most competitive producer of small nuclear power plants. As worldwide interest in nuclear energy revives,including in the US,India looks forward to building productive international partnerships in this field," she told a gathering at the Asia Society,the well-known New York-based think tank. Shankar said the last decade was a period of "unprecedented progress" in bilateral ties. "It was a period of unprecedented progress in our relationship,which saw our political dialogue intensify to a new level,our strategic understanding deepen and our cooperation enter new frontiers," she said.
