US hints at easing high tech export control against India

New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) In first official indication that
it is likely to ease its hightech export control policy
against New Delhi, the US Thursday said talks were making
"good progress" in the field ahead of President Barack Obama's
visit which will reflect India as a "partner and not as a
target".
Travelling here to firm up key deliverables during
Obama's visit to India next month, US Under Secretary for
Political Affairs William Burns and Assistant Secretary for
South Asia Robert Blake met External Affairs Minister S M
Krishna and senior officials, including National Security
Advisor Shivshankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.
According to sources, Krishna conveyed India's concerns
over recent US government moves to curb outsourcing and talked
about easing of restrictions that bar US high-tech exports to
India.
Terming his meeting with Rao as "excellent", Burns told
reporters that there was a "rich agenda" for Obama's meetings
with Indian leadership encompassing a whole range of issues
from agriculture to expansion of defence cooperation to
counter-terrorism cooperation.
US was also committed to working together to realise the
full potential of the historic civil nuclear agreement between
the two countries, he said.
"In working together to adapt and reform the export
control policies to reflect the realities of the 21st century
partnership, so that India is treated as a partner and not as
a target," he said, adding that there was "good progress"
being made on all these issues.
"In all these areas, there is extraordinary promise and
extraordinary opportunity and we are determined to continue to
working together and as I told you, I believe we are making
good progress," he said.
The US indications to ease its export control policies
come a few months after Japan considerably liberalised its
control policies and took 11 entities off from negative end-
user list.
Terming Obama's visit as a "historic moment" in relations
between India and the US, Burns said his country had deep
strategic interest in India's emergence as global power and it
was determined to continue working to adapt the international
architecture to reflect the realities of 21s century.
"This is the moment to demonstrate to both of our people
the tangible benefits of partnership", he said.
The Burns-Blake visit, officials said, is likely to be
the last major top-level visit of US officials to India before
the Obama visit, sources said.
The visit comes as a quick follow-up to the series of
ministerial visits from India to the US in the last one month,
including by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence
Minister A K Antony and Foreign Minister S M Krishna – all of
whom had met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Interestingly, Burns will also travel to Kolkata to meet
West Bengal Governor and former National Security Adviser M K
Narayanan who had played a key role in wrapping up the complex
negotiations that led to the signing of the landmark India-US
civil nuclear deal.
"Burns will travel to Kolkata to meet with Narayanan and
will pay homage at Mother Teresa's grave," a US Embassy
statement said. Burns and Blake will leave tomorrow for the
US