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FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7620
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4042
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 5004
RUEHNEH/AMCONSUL HYDERABAD 0859
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 4226

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 NEW DELHI 001649 
 
 
STATE FOR P (WEST), SCA (BLAKE/OWEN), SCA/INSB (MAHONEY), NSC FOR 
GOEL 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MASS ENRG EFIN CVIS AMGT IN
SUBJECT:  U.S.-INDIAN RELATIONS:  NEXT STEPS IN THE STRATEGIC 
DIALOGUE 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: (SBU) Following on the August 5 Interagency Policy 
Committee meeting to discuss the Strategic Dialogue, Mission offers 
its views on next steps in the run up to the Prime Minister's 
November visit.  We spell out dialogue goals, describe ways to move 
forward, flag pitfalls and propose potential deliverables.  End 
summary. 
 
TURNING THE STRATEGIC DIALOGUE INTO ACTION 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)   The U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue announced during 
Secretary Clinton's July visit to India highlights the areas we will 
focus on to broaden and deepen our strategic partnership.  Turning 
what is in essence a broad outline into specific action items will 
depend on our ability to work with the Government of India to make 
existing talks productive and get new dialogues off the ground.  One 
of the biggest across-the-board constraints we face in the short 
term is the lack of funding for activities.  We will be seeking 
support and resources from parent agencies, but the time before the 
Prime Minister's visit is short.  The Government of India will judge 
our seriousness about the Strategic Dialogue in part by our ability 
to match funds that can build real partnerships.   In this context, 
we need to recognize that while we may seek to incorporate into the 
dialogues existing plans for bilateral cooperative programs that 
would be launched during this period, we run the risk that the GOI 
will hesitate to endorse projects that were not developed through 
the bilateral dialogue process, or view "repackaging" of 
pre-existing projects as lack of U.S. commitment.  We also note that 
1) science and technology; 2) women's empowerment; and, 3) 
development partnerships are cross-cutting themes in many of the 
pillars and need to be consistently addressed in the interagency. 
 
STRATEGIC DIALOGUE:  THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS 
-------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) 
 
-- STRATEGIC COOPERATION 
 
Strategic Security Dialogue (SSD):  This dialogue addresses India's 
strategic weapons program (such as risk reduction measures with 
Pakistan), explores areas of nonproliferation cooperation (such as 
port security), and gains bilateral coordination on global 
nonproliferation issues (such as Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty and 
CTBT).  The first Strategic Security Dialogue meeting should meet in 
early fall 2009 prior to PM Singh's November 24 visit.  After 
conversations with MEA, the GOI leans towards holding the meetings 
in Washington or New York on the margins of UNGA because of the 
likely sensitivity of early discussion of issues like 
nonproliferation.  MEA is also determining who will represent the 
GOI because Additional Secretary Katju is moving on to a new 
position.  The goal of the meeting would be to produce a joint 
statement underlining areas of agreement on nonproliferation issues. 
 Post will also renew its efforts to encourage India to accept a 
team to discuss the Secure Freight Initiative/Megaports this fall. 
 
 
Global and Regional Security Dialogues:  This dialogue will focus on 
foreign policy issues in South and Southwest Asia, including 
Afghanistan-Pakistan and Iran, the Gulf, Indian Ocean and East Asia 
including China.  Special Representative Holbrooke plans to visit 
Delhi in mid-August, if schedules allow.  Post supports the MEA's 
interest in arranging meetings with Assistant Secretary for East 
Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell and Special Advisor to the 
President and NSC Senior Director Dennis Ross.  These meetings could 
take place on the margins of other multilateral meetings or the MEA 
would consider hosting these visits in Delhi in the next several 
months. 
 
Global Issues Forum:  The last meeting of the Global Issues Forum 
took place in New Delhi in 2008.  The Forum is designed to 
coordinate U.S. and Indian views on multilateral issues such as the 
promotion of democracy, health, environmental protection and human 
rights.  No date has been set yet for another Forum meeting.  The 
MEA will provide us with suggested dates in the near future.  Post 
flags that efforts to promote a publicly coordinated approach to 
governance in a third country will have to be carefully handled 
because of GOI sensitivities on sovereignty issues. 
 
Defense Policy Group Dialogue: This annual set of dialogues and 
working groups focuses on military-to military cooperation, 
including training, cooperative operations, doctrinal development 
and military sales.  The Defense Policy Group (DPG) meeting in Delhi 
November 2-3 will seek agreement on humanitarian assistance and 
 
NEW DELHI 00001649  002 OF 007 
 
 
disaster relief operations, information sharing, maritime security 
cooperation through combined operations, repatriation of remains of 
U.S. service members, expanded multilateral exercises, and the 
signing of two remaining foundational documents regarding 
communications equipment interoperability (CISMOA) and logistics 
support (LSA).  The MEA and Indian MOD are currently consulting on 
the GOI agenda for the meetings.  The Defense Procurement Policy 
Group (DPPG) meeting the week before will be focused on a range of 
military hardware sales.  Agreement in July on End Use Monitoring 
language in Letters of Offer and Acceptance will boost this effort. 
 
Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism:  This existing bilateral 
mechanism to coordinate counterterrorism efforts has been focused 
post-Mumbai on intelligence and law enforcement cooperation and 
increased training.  A proposed visit by Home Minister Chidambaram 
in September (tentative window September 8-13) will facilitate 
greater cooperation.  The MEA pledged to provide Post with a list of 
the specific areas of cooperation the GOI wants to pursue.  Post 
will encourage GOI participation in a U.S.-sponsored regional CT 
conference in Bangladesh in September and the regional conference on 
informal money transfers (hawala) scheduled for Mumbai in early FY 
¶2010.  The MEA pledged to provide Post with a list of the specific 
areas of cooperation the GOI wants to pursue. 
 
High Technology Cooperation Group:  This existing dialogue has added 
working groups on civil aviation, civil nucler, and strategic 
trade.  The Group focuses on cooperative steps to create economic, 
legal and structural environments for successful trade in high 
technology goods and controlled dual-use technologies. According to 
the MEA, a full HTCG plenary may not be possible until December, but 
the biotech working group should meet on August 26 and the MEA hopes 
for discussions on strategic trade in September.  Potential 
deliverables in the dialogue include several focused trade missions, 
resolution of a long-standing dispute over licensing of the export 
of zirconium technology, and a discussion of the results of a 
top-to-bottom review of the entities list and time bound action 
plans from each of the existing and new working groups. 
 
Specific trade promotion initiatives under the HTCG include: a 
Commerce Aerospace Supplier Development Trade Mission, November 
2009; a Civil Nuclear delegation, December 2009; a USA Pavilion at 
Aviation Expo, March 2010; and a Medical Technology Trade Mission, 
March 2010. These events are designed to establish new commercial 
and joint venture partnerships between U.S. and Indian firms, 
especially SMEs. In addition, the events will be used to engage in 
policy and regulatory roundtables to offer U.S. ideas on reforms 
that will increase bilateral trade and investment and economic 
growth.  Promising Working Group Action Plans resulting from the 
Plenary will focus on cooperating in the development of India's 
general and business aviation industry and increased clarity on 
India's medical devices and drug regulations, and implementation of 
IPR provisions to control counterfeit and spurious drugs. 
 
Information and Communications Technology Dialogue:  The purpose of 
the ICT Working Group is to serve as a public-private forum to 
facilitate bilateral trade and investment in information technology, 
telecommunications, and media and broadcasting.  It works well -- 
for both sides.  From the U.S. perspective, it has helped persuade 
the GOI to increase in the level of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) 
in the telecommunications sector from 49 to 74 percent; to 
liberalize VoIP services, to permit Mobile Virtual Network Operators 
and allow competitive carrier selection; eliminate the Access 
Deficit Charge on the provision of international long distance 
services and move forward with plans for a 3G auction.  The GOI 
proposed the next WG for September.  The MEA has also raised whether 
a cyber security dialogue should be incorporated into the ICT.  Due 
to the delay in confirmation of the U.S. lead, we understand the USG 
preference may be to hold the next ICT WG in New Delhi in December 
in connection with a trade show.  It is not clear to Post whether 
this has been communicated officially to the Embassy.  Post would 
welcome EEB/CIP views on potential deliverables.  Real progress on 
the 3G auction would be one. 
 
-- ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE 
 
Energy Dialogue:  MEA described this pillar to us as "the star of 
the dialogue process."  The purpose of this dialogue has been to 
facilitate the deployment of clean, low-carbon energy technologies, 
promote increased clean energy trade and investment, enhance mutual 
energy security, and advance our non-proliferation goals, including 
the safe use of nuclear power.  This has been one of the most robust 
and successful of the ongoing dialogues and has spawned a separate 
Dialogue on Global Climate Change. 
 
 
NEW DELHI 00001649  003 OF 007 
 
 
 
Moving forward, the Energy Dialogue will continue to expand private 
sector participation to promote a green economic recovery, seek to 
engage in transformational activities such as carbon capture and 
storage (CCS), and place an increased emphasis on civil nuclear 
power, renewables, and clean coal technologies as well as energy 
efficiency.  Several USTDA and Commerce initiatives actively support 
Energy Dialogue cooperation priorities.  The Steering Committee (SC) 
held its last meeting in April 2008 in New Delhi during a week when 
all four non-nuclear WGs held meetings.  It is the United States' 
turn to host the next meeting.  The SC has historically met on an 
almost annual basis but there is no fixed schedule.  The five 
Working Groups meet twice a year to chart progress, discuss and 
launch new activities and engage in policy dialogue. 
 
a. Power and Energy Efficiency WG.  The WG last met in April 2008 in 
New Delhi.  It is likely the next meeting will be held in New Delhi 
this November in conjunction with the Nov. 16-17 Energy Efficiency 
Conference and Trade Mission cosponsored by DOE, USAID, Commerce, 
India's Ministry of Power, USIBC, CII, and others.  Actions could 
include: an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle feasibility 
study; R&D cooperation on an R&D technology center; an exchange 
program with India's Ministry of the Environment and Forests and 
DOE's NETL; and India joining the International Partnership for 
Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC). 
 
b. Oil and Gas Working Group.  This WG last met in April 2008 in New 
Delhi although there was also a Ministry of Petroleum and Natural 
Gas (MPNG) Secretary visit to DOE in the spring of 2009.  The next 
WG has not yet been scheduled.  Actions could include: a Roundtable 
on Increasing U.S. Participation in India's Upstream Oil and Gas 
Sector; additional cooperation on methane hydrates; USTDA grants to 
introduce advanced safety, inspection and maintenance technologies 
in India's refinery sector; a USTDA grant to promote oil rig safety 
and spill avoidance; India's participation in the October 2009 IEA 
Ministerial, including the IPEEC and steps towards coordinating its 
strategic petroleum reserve within the IEA emergency response 
framework. 
 
 
c. Coal WG.  The WG last met in April 2008 and is expected to meet 
in the fall, likely in the United States.  Actions could include: 
an MOU between DOE's NETL and India's Central Institute for Mining 
and Fuel Research on underground coal gasification; dry coal 
beneficiation programs; cooperation on assessment of reserves and 
enhanced energy recovery; a USTDA-funded grant with Reliance for a 
feasibility study and pilot project for co-processing of lignite and 
refinery bottoms to produce high grade liquid fuel in Gujarat; and a 
USEPA/USTDA Coal Mine/Coal bed Methane Clearinghouse to encourage 
the recovery and utilization of coal mine methane. 
 
d. New Technology/Renewable WG.  The WG last met in April 2009. 
Plans are underway for a September meeting; DOE staff will visit 
Delhi in August to lay the groundwork.  The MEA has stressed the 
importance of the working group "thinking big," particularly in the 
areas of solar energy and biofuels, with solar being a top priority 
for the Singh government with huge potential for public benefit and 
a strong funding commitment from the GOI.  The GOI is keeping a 
close eye on our Strategic and Economic Dialogue with China to 
determine whether India is receiving similar treatment.  Actions 
could include: next steps on Biofuels MOU; possible MOU on advanced 
solar development; DOE/Commerce plans for a February 2010 Solar 
Energy Trade mission; a possible Wind energy MOU; exchanges in 
municipal waste and waste-to energy; demo geothermal projects with 
DOE's Oak Ridge National Lab; promotion of zero energy buildings and 
communities; and India taking steps to be an "active partner" in 
President Obama's renewable energy initiatives.  India's Minister of 
Renewable Energy plans to visit the United State in the fall. 
 
 
e. Civil Nuclear WG.  The WG last met at DOE's Idaho Lab in April 
¶2009.  The next meeting is planned for the week of December 14, 2009 
in Mumbai.  In order for India's 123 Agreement to become effective, 
it needs to declare those civilian facilities it will make subject 
to IAEA safeguards.  These actions will open the door to deeper U.S. 
commercial and scientific engagement, with India and DOE is engaging 
India on these issues.  The goal of the December meeting is to 
complete an Action Plan to guide further collaboration in areas such 
as: materials for high temperature reactors; passive safety features 
in reactor design; TRISO fuel development; nuclear hydrogen 
generation technologies; and fusion energy research.  DOE is also 
seeking to expand cooperation on nuclear and radiological security. 
 In order to promote opportunities for U.S. firms in India's nuclear 
power sector, the GOI needs to notify Parliament of the designation 
 
NEW DELHI 00001649  004 OF 007 
 
 
of two nuclear parks where U.S. firms could build nuclear power 
plants; it has already designated parks for France and Russia.  U.S. 
nuclear suppliers also insist that India ratify the Convention on 
Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage before they do 
business in India, which may take place in the next session of 
Parliament.  Finally, U.S. technology transfer requirements may 
impact business development. 
 
Global Climate Change Dialogue:  This new dialogue is designed to 
intensify collaboration on combating climate change by fostering 
increased cooperation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and 
promoting sustainable, efficient, low-carbon development.  The GOI 
considers the meeting between Special Envoys Stern and Saran on July 
21 as the first meeting of the dialogue, but are looking forward to 
a continuing conversation.  The MEA leans to having at least one 
meeting in conjunction with the Energy Dialogue.  Post recommends 
establishing an Indo-U.S. Partnership for Climate Change Cooperation 
to be funded jointly by both countries as a climate change 
deliverable for President Obama's meeting with PM Singh. 
Encompassing all aspects of climate change cooperation, the 
partnership would serve as an umbrella for a wide range of projects 
and programs such as agricultural research, renewable energy 
projects, cultural exchanges, and black carbon reduction through use 
of efficient cook stoves.  In order to meet a compressed deliverable 
deadline, initial USG funding for the partnership could be in the 
range of a relatively modest USD 5 million in FY2010 to be matched 
by GOI funding.  As USG funding for climate change ramps up in out 
years, the Indo-U.S. Partnership for Climate Change Cooperation 
could serve as an already established vehicle to promote bilateral 
interests under the Global Climate Change Dialogue.  USAID will 
support the Dialogue goals of reducing the negative impacts of 
climate change through innovations in clean and renewable energy, 
agriculture, and better environmental impact analysis.  In the 
short-term, USAID will launch: 1) a 6 MW solar project in Andaman 
and Nicobar (October 2009); and a private sector loan guarantee for 
a 25 MW biomass power plant in Maharashtra (September 2009).  Two 
additional  opportunities to further develop the climate change 
dialogue with India ahead of the Singh visit are:  1) Minister of 
Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh plans to travel to New York to 
attend the September 22 UN Climate Change Conference and requested 
meetings with S/E Stern in Washington the same week, and 2) the GOI 
has invited Energy Secretary Chu to attend the "Delhi High Level 
Conference & Exposition on Climate Change:  Technology Development 
and Transfer" October 22-23.  Post recommends an early decision on 
his participation.  If Secretary Chu is unable to attend, we quickly 
should identify appropriate USG representation. 
 
-- EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT 
 
Education Dialogue:  The dialogue will focus on the desire of both 
nations to prepare coming generations for the knowledge economies of 
the future and to address issues of shared priority, with 
participation from government, educators and the private sector.  No 
date has been set yet for the first Dialogue meeting.  The MEA would 
welcome a visit from the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and 
Public Affairs before November.  MEA reports Human Resources 
Development Minister Kapil Sibal will not be able to engage on the 
education issue bilaterally until January because of his 
responsibility to shepherd an education bill through the Indian 
Parliament in November-December.  Activities within this dialogue 
could include: cooperation in the development and support of the 
Higher Education Council under the aegis of our existing bilateral 
U.S.-India Education (Fulbright) Foundation to connect U.S. and 
Indian universities; convening of an Education meeting at the time 
of the annual U.S.-India CEO Forum to explore partnerships 
supporting U.S.-India education programs, including the use of 
corporate offset programs to promote cooperation; and enhancing the 
2008 Fulbright-Nehru agreement to support direct university to 
university partnerships and faculty development in priority fields 
for the bilateral relationship.  Potential deliverables could 
include establishing a joint USD 10 million (USD 5 million each) 
fund to support university linkages and junior faculty development 
in areas of shared priority, additional USD 2 million (USD 1 million 
each) in funding for Fulbright exchanges, and proposed private 
contributions to Fulbright exchanges.  USAID would strongly support 
basic education being included within the Dialogue to improve the 
quality and relevance of education for India's marginalized children 
and youth.  In the short-term, USAID plans to launch a new Education 
and Skill Development for Disadvantaged Program (October 2009) and 
fund research into the variables determining school dropouts and the 
development of "pilot" projects to address this major drag on 
India's development (October 2009). 
 
Women's Empowerment Dialogue:  This new dialogue led on the U.S. 
 
NEW DELHI 00001649  005 OF 007 
 
 
side by Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues is designed to 
foster relationships with the government and civil society on common 
interests involving women.  No date has been set yet for the first 
Dialogue meeting.  The MEA is working with the Ministry of Women and 
Child Development to get a sense of the Ministry's plans for 
co-chairing this dialogue.  USAID can support the Dialogue in its 
efforts to address gender inequalities in India through promoting 
transparent policies and legal frameworks that protect the rights of 
women.  To this end, USAID will be launching a new Rule of Law and 
Reproductive Health Program for Women (October 2009). 
 
-- ECONOMICS, TRADE AND AGRICULTURE 
 
U.S.-India Economic Dialogue:  This was conceived as the umbrella 
mechanism under which the other economic dialogues would be 
coordinated.  There has been no stand-alone meeting under this 
dialogue for a number of years.  Post recommends that Principals and 
deputies (when possible post-confirmation) meet early to 
reinvigorate and set priorities for all the economic dialogues.  The 
MEA is also interested in reactivating the discussions.  Along these 
lines, one issue Washington agencies need to determine is whether or 
not Commerce still wants to pursue its Commercial Dialogue, which we 
understand was not included within the new Strategic Dialogue 
structure. 
 
Trade Policy Forum:  The purpose of the Forum is to reduce and 
remove barriers to bilateral investment and trade.  The Forum has 
largely succeeded at getting the right players to the table from 
both the USG and GOI sides - except in the agricultural sector where 
we are concerned that the GOI is not taking seriously our requests 
for an Agriculture Focus Group dialogue at the appropriate level. 
Achievements have been a mixed bag, and progress has waned since the 
TPF last met in February 2008.  There has been some progress on IPR. 
 The first round of bilateral investment treaty negotiations takes 
place in New Delhi in early August.  The GOI, however, did not 
address any of the tariff concerns in its recent budget that we had 
raised and, despite hopes that the new government would take action, 
the insurance law was not taken up during the summer parliament 
session.  We will work to encourage Minister of Industry and 
Commerce Sharma to accompany Prime Minister Singh in November in 
order to convene a TPF with Ambassador Kirk.  We look to utilize the 
upcoming visit of DUSTR Marantis to encourage a November TPF and to 
establish a tentative agenda for the TPF so both sides can work to 
lay the groundwork for real progress.  Holding the TPF itself could 
be seen as a deliverable.  We would encourage USG TPF participants 
to identify any potential policy successes that could be announced 
during the PM's visit, including progress on the afore-mentioned 
issues and or other initiatives that could enhance bilateral 
cooperation generally and in specific sectors. 
 
Finance and Economic Forum:  The purpose of the FEF is to provide a 
forum for bilateral discussion of economic and financial sector 
regulatory issues, and from the USG perspective, to encourage India 
to be a constructive and responsible player in global financial 
fora.   This forum is considered by both sides to be an effective 
dialogue.  It has also achieved some success in improving a level 
playing field for American financial firms. Treasury has proposed to 
add macroeconomic issues to the FEF to broaden our bilateral 
engagement to the full range of current discussions that occur 
within the G20 process.  In addition to infrequent senior-level 
meetings, the FEF regularly includes technical-level exchanges every 
year between the United States and India on issues affecting the 
banking, securities, commodities, insurance, and pension markets, as 
well as financial regulatory matters facing U.S. firms doing 
business in India.  The next meeting is proposed for late October 
¶2009.  The MEA is looking at dates.  Possible deliverables could be 
assurances of progress in the Indian insurance, banking, and pension 
sectors promoting greater liberalization, bilateral technical 
cooperation on regulatory matters, and identification of common 
objectives in the G-20 Finance Ministers agenda. 
 
CEO Forum:  The purpose of the CEO Forum is to provide senior-level 
private sector input to the U.S.-India economic relationship through 
recommendations for action by each government to improve the 
bilateral trade and investment relationship.  The CEO forum has been 
very successful at getting senior-level MNC private sector and 
government officials together.  The follow-through on these 
recommendations has been limited and some private sector 
participants have criticized the government participants for 
dominating the proceedings with speeches - and not following through 
on recommendations.  The CEO Forum has not been as effective in 
providing a voice for SMEs and its current composition is seen as 
heavy on the financial services sector.  The GOI has recommended 
that CEO Chair and Forum membership be reconstituted before the next 
 
NEW DELHI 00001649  006 OF 007 
 
 
meeting.  While ordinarily the CEO Forum has been held in September 
in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly, we understand 
that timing could be difficult this year due to NSC's concurrent 
involvement in the G-20 meetings in September in Pittsburgh and 
possible delays in reconstituting the Forum under new USG 
requirements for Forum membership.  The CEO Forum should strive to 
meet either ahead of the PM's visit - so that recommendations could 
be presented during the visit - or use the visit to jump-start a 
revitalized CEO Forum with mechanisms to ensure follow-through on 
recommendations. 
 
Agriculture Dialogue:  The Dialogue aims to develop a productive, 
internationally competitive and diversified agriculture sector in 
India that maximizes opportunities for food security, poverty 
alleviation and income generation.  To this objective in the 
short-term, relevant USG agencies and departments will:  sign a 
Memorandum of Understanding with National Horticulture Mission of 
the Ministry of Agriculture (September, 2009); launch the 
Revitalizing Education for Agriculture Development Program with U.S. 
and Indian universities (October 2009); convene a seminar between 
bodies regulating international standards and Indian partners as 
part of the Indian Horticulture Knowledge Network (November 2009); 
release the first biotechnology crop - eggplant (March 2010); and 
sign a new bilateral Agriculture Project Agreement with GOI 
(September 2010); identify new opportunities for expanding the 
prestigious Norman Borlaug Fellowship program (September 2009) and 
co-host a seminar with the Indian private sector on international 
norms (UN/CODEX) for food safety standards (August 2009). 
 
In the long-term, this assistance will alleviate hunger; improve 
agricultural productivity; improve soil and water resource 
management; and, improve the flow of goods and services through 
strengthened value chains.   To achieve these ambitious results, 
there will need to be a major increase in funding for USAID and USDA 
agricultural programs.  There is a concern that the Indian Council 
for Agriculture Research, which manages India's research and 
education agenda, may try to orient the science, technology and 
education working group solely towards pure agricultural research. 
Next steps at Post include development ("flesh on the bones") of the 
five key working groups: a) Farm-to-Market Links; b) Regional and 
Global Food Security Cooperation; c) Science, Technology and 
Education; d) Environmental Sustainability; and e) Rural Financial 
Systems (i.e. rural savings, credit, insurance and micro-finance). 
The MEA will be exploring with Post possible dates in 
September-October for an invitation to the Under Secretary of State 
for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs to visit India and 
begin discussions.  The MEA is also interested in inviting Secretary 
Vilsack to India and will look for dates. 
 
-- SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH AND INNOVATION 
Science and Technology Dialogue: The Dialogue will assist in 
harnessing the great potential for S&T collaboration between the 
U.S. and India in areas of scientific endeavor ranging from outer 
space to nanotechnology.  A cornerstone of this collaboration is the 
recently signed Indo-U.S. S&T Endowment, a highly visible vehicle 
intended to boost bilateral cooperation efforts.  While we do not 
envision a major S&T Endowment deliverable for the Singh visit, it 
is imperative that the Endowment rapidly become fully functional. 
Both countries are in the process of filling the 18 member Endowment 
Board with qualified individuals from government, academia and the 
private sector.  Ideally, the President and PM would be able to 
refer to the constitution of the Board as tangible demonstration of 
progress in S&T cooperation. 
Health Dialogue: This dialogue will allow for greater cooperation on 
health issues between the U.S. and GOI.  No date has been set yet 
for the first Dialogue meeting, but the MEA is interested in getting 
the dialogue going as soon as possible.  Currently, the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services maintains 10 bilateral 
agreements with the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and 
Science and Technology, through its agencies: National Institutes of 
Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). HHS's key objectives are to 
conduct and promote collaboration in the areas of science and 
technology, health sciences, product safety, and public health 
programs.   Working with academia, government, civic society, and 
industrial partners, HHS's objectives are realized through "Four D's 
of Global Health, which involves focus on Discovery, Development, 
Delivery, and (health) Diplomacy".  Two possible deliverables from 
HHS are: 1) establishment of a Global Disease Detection (GDD) 
program with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by CDC.  The 
GDD program will promote collaborations in emerging infectious 
diseases, influenza, zoonotic diseases, influenza, laboratory 
systems strengthening, and communication; and 2) establishment of a 
bilateral agreement with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 
 
NEW DELHI 00001649  007 OF 007 
 
 
on cancer bioinformatics by NIH.  The agreement will allow 
collaboration in detection, treatment, and prevention of cancers 
using information exchange via electronic grid that connects Indian 
and U.S. cancer specialists.  HHS/NIH will host four Joint Working 
Group meetings with the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and 
Science and Technology during the week of November 16, 2009 which 
can be highlighted during the Prime Minister's visit.  USAID's goal 
in support of the Health Dialogue is to assist the Government of 
India (GOI) in achieving the health Millennium Development Goals. 
In the near term to support the Health Dialogue, USAID will launch a 
new Health of the Urban Poor Program (October 2009). 
 
ROEMER