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RUCPDC/NOAA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 002121 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2019 
TAGS: PREL PARM TSPL KNNP ETTC ENGRG TRGY IN
SUBJECT: U/S BURNS AND FS RAO REVIEW PROGRESS ON U.S.-INDIA 
STRATEGIC DIALOGUE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer for Reasons 1.4 (B and D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Under 
Secretary for Political Affairs Bill Burns discussed progress 
on the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue and Prime Minister 
Singh's official state visit to Washington November 22-26. 
Over the course of an initial one-on-one meeting, a bilateral 
session, and a regional issues lunch (septel), they agreed 
both governments are on the "same page" regarding the visit. 
Burns and Rao expressed support for the idea of a Green 
Initiative with a focus on clean energy and food security. 
Looking to Copenhagen, Rao was generally positive on the 
Danish proposal to draft a short accord and focus the 
discussion on domestic initiatives.  Burns and Rao agreed to 
pursue a MOU on counterterrorism, a systematic 
nonproliferation dialogue, and a possible roadmap for 
liberalizing U.S. export controls vis-a-vis India.  Rao 
confirmed that India would announce its reactor sites in the 
near future (the announcement was made the evening of October 
16) and continued to review the Part 810 license assurances. 
Rao sought public U.S. support for India's aspirations for a 
permanent seat on the UN Security Council.  Burns explained 
that the United States continued its internal review of UN 
Security Council reform.  END SUMMARY. 
 
The PM Visit and Beyond 
----- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On October 16 Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and 
visiting Under Secretary for Political Affairs Bill Burns, 
joined by Ambassador Roemer, Assistant Secretary for South 
and Central Asia Bob Blake and NSC Acting Senior Director 
Anish Goel, discussed the progress of the U.S.-India 
Strategic Dialogue and Prime Minister Singh's official state 
visit to Washington November 22-26.  Rao remarked that the 
Indian government was keen to make the Prime Minister's 
Washington trip a "landmark visit" and expressed appreciation 
for Secretary Clinton's personal oversight of the Strategic 
Dialogue.  Rao welcomed the general agreement on the tangible 
outcomes for the PM's visit and hoped for a joint statement 
that would send a strong message regarding future bilateral, 
regional, and global collaboration.  Rao and Burns credited 
the series of high-level visits with establishing the 
foundation for a successful summit.  The Strategic Security 
Dialogue, the Education Dialogue, the Women's Empowerment 
Dialogue and the Global Issues Forum would meet before 
November to identify outcomes for the joint statement.  Burns 
shared Rao's optimism regarding the "enormous potential" of 
the bilateral partnership, as well as her conviction to 
leverage the PM visit to further tangible progress on 
bilateral cooperation. 
 
Green Initiative and Climate Change 
----- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Both Rao and Burns expressed support for the idea of 
a Green Initiative as a creative way to approach the 
interrelated issues of clean energy and food security.  They 
concurred on areas for energy cooperation and technology 
transfer, including renewable, solar, and wind energy.  Rao 
shared Prime Minister Singh's plan to mainstream the climate 
change debate as part of an overall inclusive growth 
strategy.  Both sides saw merit in a joint research center 
and a possible USD 100 million Green Fund to finance new 
technology and innovation projects (drawn from USG, Indian 
government, and private sector contributions).  Burns 
anticipated that attracting private sector investment to the 
Green Fund would not be problematic, but acknowledged that 
identifying government funding could require more time.  He 
underlined that announcing the intention to establish such a 
fund might demonstrate both governments' practical approach 
to the issues.  Rao reminded Burns that GOI awaited a 
response to its MOU on Clean and Efficient Energy and Climate 
Change that Deputy Planning Commissioner Ahluwalia presented 
to Energy Secretary Chu on September 11.  Observing common 
ground on the "key ingredients," Burns cautioned the USG may 
decide against a broad MOU.  On food security, Rao and Burns 
hoped to focus efforts on food processing, farm-to-market 
links, and weather forecasting.  Rao promised that a revised 
non-paper on agriculture would be forthcoming. 
 
NEW DELHI 00002121  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) Burns observed that the December UN Climate Conference 
in Copenhagen "loomed large" over the Prime Minister's visit, 
and stressed the importance of Indian cooperation on climate 
issues.  He told Rao that President Obama had responded 
favorably to the Danish proposal for a brief political accord 
followed by legal drafting after the conference.  Rao 
confirmed the Danes had pitched the same proposal to the GOI 
and India was "absolutely willing" to share its domestic 
initiatives on climate change, including solar energy and 
reforestation.  The GOI would not object to reorienting the 
conversation in this manner, so long as it did not appear 
that India had bowed to external pressure. 
 
Strategic Cooperation - CT, Defense, and Export Controls 
----- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Burns recommended both governments pursue practical 
areas of collaboration identified by Home Minister 
Chidambaram following his September visit to the United 
States, including coastal security, policing megacities, and 
rail security.  Acknowledging the time needed by the GOI for 
an interagency review, Burns promised to try to send the GOI 
a draft counterterrorism MOU by next week.  The MEA hoped New 
York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly would 
accept the government's invitation to conduct a workshop on 
policing megacities in India.  Rao also sought U.S. support 
for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism 
(CCIT), which India introduced in the UN in 1996. 
 
¶6. (C) Burns and Rao appreciated the value of a systematic 
nonproliferation dialogue, especially considering 
opportunities in multilateral fora over the next several 
years.  Rao welcomed President Obama's call for universal 
disarmament and congratulated the President on winning the 
Nobel Peace Prize.  Rao flagged Pakistan's views on the 
Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Burns and Rao agreed that defense cooperation was an 
area of great potential and Rao said the GOI looked forward 
to welcoming Defense Secretary Gates to India.  Following the 
End Use Monitoring (EUM) agreement, both governments 
anticipated increased access for U.S. defense companies to 
the India market.  Burns observed that the benefits of EUM 
extended beyond defense sales, as subsequent joint exercises 
and training would lead to greater mutual understanding. 
Ambassador Roemer suggested that the United States and India 
consider increased cooperation on humanitarian and disaster 
relief and anti-piracy efforts, even if specific agreements 
would not be reached by November. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Burns affirmed that the United States will attempt 
to draft a roadmap for the first phase in liberalizing U.S. 
export controls applicable to India.  The roadmap would 
outline several steps each government must take to move 
forward.  The Prime Minister's visit would provide momentum 
for the next phase in reexamining the issue.  Rao encouraged 
the USG to review its entities list and consider removing 
Indian defense labs, as it was "absolutely clear" such labs 
were not engaged in WMD development or deployment. She also 
requested that the United States reconsider space research 
entities, to move the bilateral partnership to "the final 
frontier." 
 
Civil Nuclear Cooperation 
----- 
 
¶9. (C) Rao confirmed the GOI's intention to announce reactor 
park sites for U.S. firms "very soon." (These were announced 
on the evening of October 16.)  With regard to the 
reprocessing consultations, she agreed that both sides needed 
to address issues of multiple facilities, physical security, 
and a safeguards program.  Burns urged the GOI to assume a 
"problem-solving" approach to the third round of reprocessing 
negotiations planned for November 5-6 in Vienna.  Ambassador 
Roemer asked whether the GOI had reviewed examples of similar 
arrangements with others, such as Japan, as a possible 
precedent.  He also inquired whether the Part 810 license 
assurances provided by other countries -- including the UK, 
Germany, and China -- and shared with the GOI helped allay 
 
NEW DELHI 00002121  003 OF 003 
 
 
India's concerns with this process.  J/S Kumar responded that 
the Department of Atomic Energy was considering the draft 
reprocessing arrangement text and promised a response within 
several days.  A/S Blake asked whether the GOI had made its 
IAEA declaration of facilities public.  Rao responded, "We 
have done what we needed to do and are prepared to tell the 
world." 
 
Other Summit Outcomes 
----- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Burns and Rao agreed to pursue the following 
Strategic Dialogue outcomes: the Obama-Singh Higher Education 
Fund, the CEO Forum -- including "cross fertilization" 
opportunities in the education and health sub-dialogues, the 
Global Disease Detection Program, and polio eradication. 
After addressing the opening of the Indian consulates in 
Seattle and Atlanta during the one-on-one, Rao said  the GOI 
would try to resolve several issues.  Rao relayed the GOI's 
approval of the upcoming World War II MIA Accountability 
Command (JPAC mission) to India in early November, but would 
review the mission's progress before committing to future 
commitments. 
 
UNSC Reform 
----- 
 
¶11. (C) Rao told Burns that while India appreciated 
Ambassador Susan Rice's willingness to clarify the U.S. 
stance, the GOI continued to pursue "passionately" a 
permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC). She did not 
believe differences on Security Council reform were 
insurmountable and hoped the United States would support 
India's aspirations in a joint statement released during the 
PM's visit.  Rao proposed the United States consider the 
joint statement between India and China as a potential model 
of including a UNSC nod.  Burns said Ambassador Rice valued 
the consultations with Indian Permanent Representative Puri. 
He explained the Obama administration continued its 
systematic internal review on Security Council Reform and 
pledged to consult India and others as the review progressed. 
 He cautioned, however, against any expectation of a public 
step forward on this issue during the Singh visit. 
ROEMER