In terms of defining an ambitious agenda for Indo-US relations in the next four years, the talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday exceeded expectations. In the first high-level political contact between India and the Bush administration in its second term, Rice has laid out a new framework for bilateral cooperation. Four new developments stand out in this engagement: flexibility on civilian nuclear energy cooperation, willingness to consider long-term defence industrial partnership, support to India’s attempts to promote regional peace and prosperity and a greater recognition of India’s global role.India had long sought the revival of civilian nuclear energy cooperation with the US that was suspended in 1974 after India’s first nuclear test. President Bush conceded the idea in principle when the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) initiative was launched in January 2004. But the non-proliferation bureaucracy in Washington undercut this vision by too narrow an interpretation. Rice has also been willing to look beyond the immediate differences over the imminent American sale of F-16s to Pakistan and offer a new approach to bilateral defence cooperation. By being more open to India’s considerations on security of supply, Rice is signalling Washington’s new commitment to meet India’s long term security needs. The unprecedented Indo-US convergence of views on promoting peace in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, is now creeping up on Pakistan and Afghanistan as well. If New Delhi continues to push forward the peace process with Islamabad and develop economic integration with both Pakistan and Afghanistan, it can count on political support from the US. Rice has also communicated America’s desire to back India’s participation in global institutions such as the G-8.New Delhi and Washington have seen many false dawns before in their bilateral relations. This time, the changed regional and global environment offers hope of a visible transformation of bilateral relations. The proposed visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the US later this year, to be followed by that of Bush to India, will help pressurise the two cynical bureaucracies in both the countries to deliver.
