US commits to 'redouble' its efforts for India's entry to NSG

Announce start of work on engineering and site design of six nuclear reactors

The India-United States joint statement issued at the end of their second Strategic and Commercial Dialogue had the US commit to "redouble" its efforts towards India's early entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The US "urged" members of the NSG "to support India's candidacy in their common interest" and reaffirmed its support for India's early membership of the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement.

The Strategic and Commercial Dialogue took place on Tuesday between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her American counterpart. The joint statement was issued on Wednesday.

On nuclear power, the two sides hoped that negotiations between Westinghouse and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India would lead to finalising the contractual arrangements by June 2017 to build six AP 1000 reactors.

India and US also looked forward to the immediate commencement of work on engineering and site design and the early conclusion of a competitive financing package based on the joint work by India and the US Export-Import Bank.

The two will convene an India-US-Afghanistan Trilateral in New York later this year.

India and the US reiterated that defence ties form the bedrock of their bilateral strategic partnership. The US committed to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with its closest allies and partners.

The two signed the Framework for the India-US Cyber Relationship for greater cooperation in cyberspace.

The US and India reaffirmed their commitment to dismantle safe havens for terrorist and criminal networks such as Da'esh/ISIL, Al-Qa'ida, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company and its affiliates and the Haqqani Network. They called on Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice.

The US announced a Select USA Road show to India in March 2017. Similarly, Invest India, India's investment promotion and facilitation agency, which facilitates US companies investing in India, will also organise Investor Road shows in the US.

New Delhi will co-host the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India, which will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, educators, government officials and business representatives from around the world. The two signed a Statement of Intent to Co-Host GES 2017.

The US lauded India's efforts to encouraging ease of doing business (EODB) by the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and other such measures. A 'US-India State Spotlight Webinar Series' to be launched to highlight business opportunities and key EODB reforms in select US and Indian States for private sector stakeholders.

The two also announced convening of the India-US Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology in Washington, DC later this year to review progress made and advance cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation.