After a hectic day of meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and talks with Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the two countries have agreed to set up a strategic dialogue at the level of Foreign Ministers to be based on five pillars of cooperation.
The two sides also decided to step up cooperation in fight against terrorism and other global challenges like climate change and global economic meltdown as they discussed a wide range of issues, including Pakistan.
The two sides reached a significant agreement on End-User Monitoring, providing for verification of military equipment and technology acquired by India from the US.
It is aimed at preventing transfer to third countries. The agreement that will pave the way for Indian procurement of US Defence technology and equipment was, however, not signed.
Another pact, which was finalised but not signed, was Technical Safeguards Agreement which will permit the launch of civil or non-commercial satellites containing US components on Indian space launch vehicles.
Krishna and Clinton signed an agreement on creation of a Science and Technology Endowment Board.
Reflecting the US' desire to broaden and deepen ties with India, President Barack Obama has invited Singh to Washington on November 24, making the first State visit during the new administration.
Clinton said Singh had informed her about India's decision to allocate two sites for US civil nuclear reactors.
"This will advance the pace of Indo-US civil nuclear agreement which will facilitate billions of dollars in US reactor exports in creating jobs in both the US and India as well as creating the much-needed energy in India," she said.
Addressing a joint press conference with Krishna after their hour-long talks, she hoped India would be ready for the Liabilities Agreement in the nuclear field.
To a question, she said the recent resolution of G-8 countries to curb transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology and equipment would not "undermine" the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, to which the Obama administration was committed.
"We have just completed a civil nuclear deal with India. So if it (ENR transfer) is done within the appropriate channels and carefully safeguarded, as it is in the case of India, that is appropriate," the Secretary of State said.
"But we are very much opposed to unauthorised and inappropriate transfers that unfortunately can take place by certain countries or non state actors doing so. So there is a right way to do it and there is wrong way to do it," she said.
Clinton added that the US is "seeking advice and suggestions from India about how we can prevent the unauthorised and dangerous transfer of nuke technology and material which poses a threat to the entire world."
She recalled Obama's message that the Indo-US cooperation would be the "driver of progress in the 21st century."
"We share a common trait by rolling up our sleeves and getting things done," she said.
Krishna said India and the US regard each other as global partners and can play a "leading and constructive role on the global level in addressing the urgent global challenges of our times."
On Iran, Clinton said India and the US have "exactly the same position" as neither wants it to acquire nuclear weapon.
"There is no difference in our positions... Our policy is in sync (with that of India)," she said, while pointing out that the Prime Minister had publicly stated that India does not want to see Iran attain nuclear weapons.
"And in the discussions today and in the discussions to come we are going to be exploring with India their approach and perspectives to our demand and any advice that they can contribute to what is now an international consensus about the dangers posed to global stability if Iran is going to become a nuclear weapons power," she said, adding, "there is a lot to discuss and we intend to do so."
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