India-U.S. Relations Page: 2 of 26
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India-U.S. Relations
Summary
The end of the Cold War freed India-U.S. relations from the constraints of
global bipolarity, but interactions continued for a decade to be affected by the burden
of history, most notably the longstanding India-Pakistan rivalry and nuclear weapons
proliferation in the region. The new century, however, has witnessed a sea change
in bilateral relations, with far more positive interactions becoming the norm. Today,
President George W. Bush calls India a "natural partner" of the United States and his
Administration seeks to assist India's rise as a major power. In July 2005, President
Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a Joint Statement resolving
to establish a "global partnership" between their two countries through increased
cooperation on numerous economic, security, and global issues. In this Joint
Statement, the Bush Administration dubbed India "a responsible state with advanced
nuclear technology" and vowed to achieve "full civilian nuclear energy cooperation"
with India. As a reversal of three decades of U.S. nonproliferation policy, such
proposed cooperation is controversial and would require changes in both U.S. law
and international guidelines (Congress has taken action on enabling legislation
H.R. 5682 and S. 3709 in the summer of 2006). Also in 2005, the United States
and India signed a ten-year defense framework agreement that calls for expanding
bilateral security cooperation. Since 2002, the United States and India have engaged
in numerous and unprecedented combined military exercises. Discussions of possi-
ble sales to India of major U.S.-built weapons systems are ongoing.
Continuing U.S. interest in South Asia focuses on ongoing tensions between
India and Pakistan, a problem rooted in unfinished business from the 1947 Partition
and competing claims to the Kashmir region. The United States strongly encourages
maintenance of an international cease-fire in Kashmir and continued, substantive
dialogue between India and Pakistan. The United States also seeks to curtail the
proliferation of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in South Asia. Both India and
Pakistan have resisted external pressure to sign the major nonproliferation treaties.
In May 1998, the two countries conducted nuclear tests that evoked international
condemnation. Proliferation-related restrictions on U.S. aid were triggered, then later
lifted through congressional-executive cooperation from 1998 to 2000. Remaining
sanctions on India (and Pakistan) were removed in October 2001. U.S. concerns
about human rights issues related to regional dissidence and separatism in several
Indian states continue. Strife in these areas has killed tens of thousands of civilians,
militants, and security forces over the past two decades. Communal tensions,religious freedom, and caste-based discrimination have been other matters of
concern. Many in Congress, along with the State Department and human rights
groups, have criticized India for perceived abuses in these and other areas. India is
in the midst of major and rapid economic expansion. Many U.S. business interests
view India as a lucrative market and candidate for foreign investment. The United
States supports India's efforts to transform its once quasi-socialist economy through
fiscal reform and market opening. Since 1991, India has taken steps in this direction,
with coalition governments keeping the country on a general path of reform. Yet
there is U.S. concern that such movement remains slow and inconsistent. This report
replaces CRS Issue Brief IB93097, India-U.S. Relations.
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Reference the current page of this Report.
Kronstadt, K. Alan. India-U.S. Relations, report, July 31, 2006; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs10313/m1/2/?q=%22Foreign%20relations%20-%20U.S.%20-%20India%22: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.