[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1851-E1852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THE GROWING U.S.-INDIA RELATIONS: STRONG AND BROAD-BASED BILATERAL 
                               RELATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2002

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, relations between the United States and 
India continue to grow and prosper in the economic, political, 
diplomatic, democracy promotion, scientific, and security cooperation 
areas. During the past year, high-level agreements and substantive 
exchanges have brought the world's two largest democracies ever closer 
together; particularly with regard to security cooperation and a 
partnership in international counter-terrorism efforts.
  The September 11 terrorist attacks on America have brought our two 
countries even closer together--as democracies which have been the 
victims of terrorism and which stand resolved to combat this scourge on 
a global basis. Following our President's clear statement that the 
nations of the world must stand ``with us or with the terrorists,'' 
India answered the call. India immediately and unhesitatingly expressed 
full solidarity with our Nation and the American people. The welcome 
presence of Prime Minister Vajpayee last month at our one-year 
commemoration ceremony in New York City was but one highly symbolic 
indication of this sense of solidarity.
  ``The National Security Strategy of the United States,'' transmitted 
by President Bush to Congress last month as a declaration of the 
Administration's policy, calls India ``A growing world power with which 
we have common strategic interest. The Administration sees India's 
potential to become one of the great democratic powers of the twenty-
first century and accordingly has worked hard to transform our 
relationship.''
  Further quoting from the Administration's report:


       The United States has undertaken a transformation in its 
     bilateral relationship with India based on a conviction that 
     U.S. interests require a strong relationship with India. We 
     are the two largest democracies, committed to political 
     freedom protected by representative government. India is 
     moving toward greater economic freedom as well. We have a 
     common interest in the free flow of commerce, including 
     through the vital sea-lanes of the Indian Ocean. Finally, we 
     share an interest in fighting terrorism and in creating a 
     strategically stable Asia.


  The pace of our bilateral engagement since President Bush assumed the 
Presidency has been unprecedented. At their November 2001 meeting, 
President Bush and Prime Minister Vajpayee issued a joint statement 
outlining the broad scope of our bilateral relations. The Prime 
Minister and the President affirmed their commitment to complete the 
process of qualitatively transforming bilateral relations in pursuit of 
their many common goals in Asia and beyond.
  The two leaders agreed that the lifting of economic, military and 
technology restrictions on India provides a further impetus to our 
bilateral relations. They welcomed the resumption of the bilateral 
Defense Policy Group as a step toward increasing exchanges and 
technical cooperation in the defense and security areas. The two 
leaders also agreed to pursue policies to enhance the mutually 
beneficial--and growing--economic and commercial ties between our 
nations. They also agreed to expand the Bilateral Economic Dialogue and 
to broaden dialogue and cooperation in the areas of energy, the 
environment, health, space, export controls, science and technology, 
including biotechnology and information technology. Indeed, the United 
States is India's largest trading partner and premier export 
destination. In particular, the President and the Prime Minister agreed 
that the two sides should discuss ways to stimulate bilateral high 
technology commerce, and agreed that our two countries should begin a 
dialogue to evaluate the processes for the transfer of dual-use and 
military items, with a view towards greater transparency and 
efficiency.
  Moreover, India and the United States have a mutual interest in space 
exploration, and both countries have active space programs. The two 
leaders began an ongoing process to initiate discussions on Civil Space 
cooperation. In addition, private sector contacts, as well as meetings 
at the academic, cultural, NGO and other levels, continue to expand.


                     Partners in Building Democracy

  The U.S. and India, the world's two largest democracies, are partners 
in the ongoing effort to build a more democratic world. In this regard, 
India is leading by example, having stuck to the democratic path in the 
more than 50 years since it gained independence. During September and 
October, despite the ongoing threat of terrorism originating from 
outside India's borders, India is holding elections for the state 
assembly in Jammu and Kashmir. On September 18, after the first of four 
rounds of voting in the elections, State Department spokesman Richard 
Boucher said:


       We do welcome the Indian Government's commitment to holding 
     an election that's free and fair and perceived as such 
     internationally and within India. We have diplomats, and 
     others do as well, up in the area observing the elections. 
     Their findings, combined with the coverage by India's media 
     and the international press will form the basis for an 
     assessment of the election overall, after it's over. And I'm 
     sure it'll be widely reported. And against these kind of 
     sporadic violence and the threats that were issued, we 
     actually applaud the courage of the voters who have chosen to 
     participate in the first round of voting.


   U.S.-India Cooperation on Security, Defense and Counter terrorism 
                                 Issues

  In particular, the U.S. and India have moved relations to a new level 
in terms of security and defense matters, and cooperation on counter 
terrorism, reflecting the recognition on

[[Page E1852]]

both sides of the need to build stability and security in Asia and 
beyond.
  The U.S.-India Security and Non-Proliferation Dialogue held in New 
Delhi on September 23-24 was but the latest example of this 
cooperation, as India continues to make substantial progress in meeting 
non-proliferation goals. India is also committed to vigorously 
enforcing stringent export controls on its locally developed know-how 
and technologies, an issue that the two sides will continue to pursue.
  The U.S. and India have held joint military exercises, and others are 
planned. Following a December 2001, meeting of the U.S.-India Defense 
Planning Group and the Executive Steering Groups of the Army, Navy and 
Air Force, the U.S. and India agreed that each of its Navies would 
jointly patrol the Strait of Malacca to ensure the uninterrupted flow 
of vital oil supplies. The U.S. and India will hold their first joint 
air exercise over Indian airspace in almost four decades in October. In 
Washington, the chief of the U.S. Pacific Air Force Command, General 
William Begert, described the joint exercise as ``a breakthrough.'' It 
has also been announced that Indian Army and Air Force personnel will 
participate with U.S. forces in exercises in Alaska later this year.
  India and the United States have forged an ever-closer partnership in 
the struggle against international terrorism--a partnership that had 
actually begun before last September 11. The U.S.-India Joint Working 
Group on Counter terrorism was established in January 2000. The fifth 
meeting of the Joint Working Group was held in July in Washington. The 
past year has been a watershed for the two democracies in confronting 
the challenge of terrorism. During this period, India and the United 
States have accomplished much in their counter-terrorism cooperation, 
including:
  Broadening their exchange of information and assessments on the 
international and regional terrorist situation.
  Strengthening intelligence and investigative cooperation.
  Signing a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.
  Launching a bilateral Cyber Security Forum, with a wide-ranging 
program of action to address cyber terrorism and information security.
  Introducing military-to-military cooperation on counter terrorism to 
supplement the initiatives of the India-U.S. Defense Policy Group in 
this area.
  Working together closely on multilateral initiatives on terrorism, 
including the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1373.
  Initiating dialogue and cooperation in homeland/internal security, 
terrorist financing, forensic science transportation security and 
border management.
  Taking concrete steps to detect and counter the activities of 
individual terrorists and organizations of concern to both of our 
countries.
  Accordingly, I urge the Administration and my colleagues to continue 
to strengthen the U.S.-India ties and to turn the blueprint outlined at 
the joint meeting between President Bush and Indian Prime Minister last 
year, into a sturdy and enduring structure that will benefit the people 
of both of our great nations.

                          ____________________