The United States and India have signed agreements concerning weapons sales and civilian nuclear technology.
Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and India's Foreign
Minister, S.M. Krishna, announced the pacts during a joint news
conference Monday in New Delhi.
In one agreement, India approved two sites where U.S. firms will have
exclusive rights to build nuclear power plants, estimated to be worth
billions of dollars for American companies. The other agreement --
known as end-use monitoring -- ensures that highly sophisticated arms
technology sold to India is not leaked to other countries.
After announcing the deals, Secretary Clinton said the relationship
between the United States and India is a "good news story" despite
differences on key issues. Foreign Minister Krishna described the two
countries as "global partners" that can address the world's most urgent
challenges.
Relations between the United States and India were strained during the
Soviet era but have warmed since the Bush administration negotiated a
historic deal allowing the sale of civilian nuclear technology to India
for the first time in three decades. In return, India will grant U.N.
inspectors access to some of its civilian nuclear facilities.
Earlier Monday, Clinton met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
From India, Clinton travels to Thailand for talks with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and an ASEAN ministerial conference before returning to Washington Friday.
VOA Bangla's Amir Khasru explores the development with Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary and former Ambassador to the US, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, and Dhaka University's Professor of International Relations, Imtiaz Ahmed.