Beyond dialogue

Washington is eager but Delhi,having lost the plot at home,is distracted

Washington is eager but Delhi,having lost the plot at home,is distracted

Delhi and Washington deserve much credit for boldly battling the growing perception in both countries that the strategic partnership has lost steam. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,presiding over the third round of strategic dialogue in Washington,have reaffirmed their enduring commitment to deepen bilateral relations across a broad front. On the eve of the talks,the Obama administration exempted India from the unilateral sanctions against Iran,thus skirting a major irritant between the two countries. Delhi,for its part,addressed Washingtons concern that American companies are being left out of the expanding civilian nuclear energy market in India,by facilitating formal negotiations between the NPCIL and Westinghouse on building a nuclear power station in Gujarat.

Besides finessing two important issues,Delhi and Washington found some common ground on major regional security issues at a time when US is redefining its Asia strategy. As part of their efforts to coordinate their respective national strategies in Afghanistan,Delhi and Washington will soon initiate a trilateral dialogue with Kabul. In Asia,amid deepening Sino-US tensions,Delhi and Washington have agreed to work for an inclusive security architecture in the region. The two sides also explored prospects for reducing trade barriers and strengthening cooperation on counter-terrorism,intelligence-sharing,non-proliferation,science and technology,agriculture and education,among others.

There is no denying that the breadth and intensity of the engagement between the two governments is now at an unprecedented level. Yet,Washington and Delhi will find it hard to dispel the impression that the romance in what Clinton once called an affair of the heart between the two nations has cooled. The Obama administration,which began its tenure by focusing more on improving ties with Pakistan and China,is now wooing India with great vigour. Part of the problem is in Delhi,where the UPA government is finding it difficult to consolidate the historic opportunities at hand with the US. Having lost the political plot at home and mismanaged the economy,Delhi is too listless and distracted to deliver on the expectations not just from the US but its regional and international partners,big and small.