John Kerry coming to India for strategic dialogue

Civil nuclear cooperation, immigration on top of the agenda

US Secretary of State John Kerry is coming to India in the last week of June with an objective of ironing out the hurdles that have stalled the 2008 civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Kerry, who is visiting India for the first time after succeeding Hillary Clinton to head the US Department of State, will co-chair the third annual Indo-US strategic dialogue with external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, to be held here.

Ever since the nuclear deal was signed, several roadblocks have come into the way of converting the agreement into a commercial arrangement. The agreement, when signed between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former US president George Bush, was heralded as the centerpiece of Indo-US relations.

But a series of problems on both sides has delayed its implementation. The first United Progressive Alliance government had even risked its fall as the Left parties, which had supported the coalition government from outide, had withdrawn their support over the nuclear deal.

US energy giant Westinghouse Electric Co and Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd had signed a commercial pact for installing a 1,000-Megawatt nuclear reactor in Gujarat last year. Kerry is expected to push India to loosen its stance on nuclear liability law and smoothen out the process of implementation.

India, on the other hand, is expected to take up the issue of US’ immigration reform plan. In a strongly worded letter to the newly-appointed US trade representative, Michael Froman, commerce secretary S R Rao has voiced India’s deep concern over the issue. India feels the new plan is targeted at Indian information technology firms operating in the US.

Besides, the long-standing issue of exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India from the US is also going to figure in the talks. According to its laws, the US does not export LNG to a country with which it does have a bilateral trading arrangement. However, it is expected to make an exception for Indian energy giant GAIL India Ltd.

Kerry’s visit to India comes as part of the ongoing process of high-level engagement between the US and India. Energy secretary Steven Chu was here last month, while finance minister P Chidambaram had visited Washington in April. Commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma is also expected to visit Washington by the end of this month or early next month.