India, US agree to expand trade in high technology items, say officials

India and the United States on Thursday agreed on an action plan to
significantly expand trade in high technology as they prepared for
U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to New Delhi early next year,
officials said.

The areas identified for future cooperation included civil space,
civil nuclear power and high technology trade, said a joint statement
issued at the end of a two-day meeting of the India-U.S. High
Technology Cooperation Group.

The two sides also discussed steps to expand cooperation in
biotechnology, information technology and nanotechnology, the
statement said.

"By the time President Bush visits India, these initiatives would
illustrate the benefits of the strategic partnership between the two
countries and demonstrate their centrality to India's growth and
progress," India's Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said.

Bush is expected to visit India in February or early March, David
Mulford, the U.S. Ambassador to India, told The Associated Press.

"The two delegations agreed to a detailed action plan that will
further promote high-tech cooperation," the statement said.

David McCormick, U.S. undersecretary of commerce for industry and
security, said defense trade may be the area with the most potential
for growth between the two countries. The two countries discussed
technology transfers, co-production, joint development and research.

McCormick said "only 1 percent of U. S. exports to India required a
license and 90 percent of license applications were approved in the
financial year 2005."

The two countries also discussed a space launch agreement that was
likely to be signed soon, Saran said.

India's first moon mission, which is not to be manned, is set for
2007. The U.S. Space Agency NASA plans to put imaging equipment aboard
India's spacecraft to study the moon's surface.

Nuclear power was part of the two countries' dialogue on energy, which
also covers oil and gas, clean coal technologies and nonconventional
energy sources, Saran said.

McCormick would meet Indian business leaders in Bombay, the financial
capital of India, on Friday before leaving for Washington.

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