[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 138 (Saturday, October 28, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1992-E1993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                THE PAST YEAR IN INDO-AMERICAN RELATIONS

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 27, 2000

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, as we draw to the close of this 
legislative year, I wanted to highlight what has been perhaps the best 
year in U.S.-India relations. This first year of the new century has 
been a year of record setting in a wide range of categories, all 
highlighting the steadily improving relationship between two of the 
world's great democracies.

[[Page E1993]]

  On September 14, 2000, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee became the 
first, and only, foreign Head of Government to be invited to address a 
Joint Meeting of Congress in the 106th Congress. The fact that this 
unique invitation was extended to Prime Minister Vajpayee is evidence 
that the Congress recognizes that Indo-American ties will continue to 
emerge as one of our most urgent foreign policy priorities in the 21st 
century.
  I'm proud that both Houses of Congress came together in a bipartisan 
manner to adopt Resolutions welcoming Prime Minister Vajpayee, and 
stating in strong terms the commitment on the part of the Legislative 
Branch to work for closer U.S.-India relations. I'm particularly 
encouraged that the House Resolution contained a provision urging that 
the U.S. Government ``consider removing existing unilateral legislative 
and administrative measures imposed against India, which prevent the 
normalization of United States-India bilateral economic and trade 
relations.''
  The year 2000 witnessed the first State Visit by an American 
President to India in more than 20 years. This year actually marked the 
second time that India's Prime Minister and the United States President 
exchanged summit visits in the same year: President Jimmy Carter 
traveled to India in January of 1978, and Prime Minister Morarji Desai 
came to the U.S. in June of that year. With all the changes that have 
taken place in both nations during the past 22 years, the exchange of 
top-level visits between the U.S. and India was particularly momentous 
this year.
  President Clinton's highly successful and productive visit to India 
in March helped to cement Indo-American relations as no other single 
act could have. Additionally, the joint statement that was signed by 
the two leaders also produced many substantive firsts. It establishes a 
framework for long-term, institutional cooperation in many areas, 
including a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, an Indo-American 
Financial and Economic Forum, a bilateral Commercial Dialogue, and an 
Indo-American Working Group on Trade. Agreements were signed on energy 
and environmental and scientific cooperation. Recognizing the unique 
similarities of both Indian and American security concerns for Asia, 
both countries pledged a new partnership on regional and global 
security issues. The Joint Indo-American Statement, which was issued 
during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington in September, 
reaffirmed all of these unprecedented agreements.
  These unprecedented agreements were reaffirmed, and expanded by the 
Joint Indo-U.S. Statement issued on September 15, during the Prime 
Minister's visit to Washington. Indeed, during the five short months 
between summits, significant progress was made. We have seen regular 
foreign policy consultations at the ministerial and senior policy 
levels. Our two countries have played a major leadership role in the 
launch of the Community of Democracies. In the economic arena, three 
ministerial-level economic dialogues and the High-Level Coordinating 
Group are working to improve the bilateral trade environment, 
facilitate greater commercial cooperation, promote investment, and 
contribute to strengthening the global financial and trading systems.
  In their September summit meeting, President Clinton and Prime 
Minister Vajpayee welcomed the progress of the Joint Working Group on 
Counter-Terrorism, and agreed that it would also examine linkages 
between terrorism and narcotics trafficking and other related issues. 
They noted the opening of a Legal Attache office in New Delhi designed 
to facilitate cooperation in counter-terrorism and law enforcement. The 
two leaders expressed satisfaction that the joint consultative group on 
clean energy and environment met in July and agreed to revitalize and 
expand energy cooperation, while discussing the full range of issues 
relating to environment and climate change. They welcomed the 
establishment of the Science and Technology forum in July and agreed 
that the forum should reinvigorate the traditionally strong scientific 
cooperation between the two countries. In that connection, they noted 
the contribution of the two science and technology related roundtable 
meetings held in March and September.
  The two leaders also welcomed the recent initiatives in the health 
sector, including the joint statements of June 2000, as examples of 
deepening collaboration in improving health care and combating AIDS and 
other major diseases of our time. They pledged their strong commitment 
to addressing the global challenge of the prevention and control of 
HIV/AIDS through the close involvement and cooperation between the 
governments and civil society in the two countries. They expressed 
support for the collaborative program for research in various areas, 
including HIV/AIDS vaccine development, through the Joint Working 
Groups of scientists envisaged by the Joint Statement of June 2000. 
They agreed to encourage the formation of a business council to combat 
HIV/AIDS with the active involvement and participation of business and 
industry to raise awareness in the industrial workplace.
  While relations between India and the United States have generally 
been cordial over the past half-century, the agreements signed this 
year in New Delhi and Washington represents a new chapter in bilateral 
cooperation.
  During Prime Minister Vajpayee's visit to Washington, the Official 
Dinner hosted by President Clinton was the largest banquet at the White 
House during the eight years of the Clinton Presidency, with more than 
700 guests in attendance. This number reflects the growing size and 
success of the Indian-American community, a community which finds 
itself at or near first place in terms of levels of education, income 
and professional attainment among ethnic groups in our country. The 
guest list also demonstrates the growing interest and support among 
Americans from all backgrounds of closer ties with India.
  A final marker of the strong relationship that has been formed was 
seen with the dedication of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi across from the 
Indian Embassy on Washington's Embassy Row. The ceremony to dedicate 
the statue was led by President Clinton and Prime Minister Vajpayee. 
For Americans, Gandhi's influence on the civil rights movement has a 
special place in our collective memory.
  It is one of my most profound hopes that the relationship between the 
United States and India continues to deepen and expand as we move into 
the years to come. I have full confidence that our policies towards 
Asia will recognize the importance of India to our National economic 
and security well being.

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