INDIA-U.S. RELATIONS
(Continued from page 2)

Today, we pledge to deepen the Indian-American part-
nership in tangible ways, always seeking to reconcile
our differences through dialogue and engagement, al-
ways seizing opportunities to advance the countless
interests we have in common. As a first step, President
Clinton has invited Prime Minister Vajpayee to visit
Washington at a mutually convenient opportunity, and
the Prime Minister has accepted that invitation. Hence-
forth, the President of the United States and the Prime
Minister of India should meet regularly to institutional-
ize our dialogue. We have also agreed on and sepa-
rately outlined an architecture of additional high-level
consultations, and of joint working groups, across the
broad spectrum of areas in which we are determined to
institutionalize our enhanced cooperation. And we will
encourage even stronger people-to-people ties.

For India and the United States, this is a day of new
beginnings. We have before us for the first time in 50
years the possibility to realize the full potential of our
relationship. We will work to seize that chance, for our
benefit and all those with whom we share this increas-
ingly interdependent world.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Prime Minister of India

William Jefferson Clinton
President of the United States of America

Done on March 21, 2000 at New Delhi

AGREED PRINCIPLES

Institutional Dialogue Between the
United States and India

|. During the visit of President Clinton to Delhi in
March 2000, President Clinton and Prime Minister
Vajpayee agreed as part of their vision for the future
relationship that a regular, wide-ranging dialogue is
important for achieving the goal of establishing closer
and multifaceted relations between India and the United
States and for the two countries to work jointly for
promotion of peace and prosperity in the 21st century.
The two leaders agreed on a number of steps to inten-
sify and institutionalize the dialogue between India and
the United States.

2. The President of the United States and Prime Minis-
ter of India will hold regular bilateral ‘Summits’ in
alternating capitals or elsewhere, including on the oc-
casions of multilateral meetings, to review bilateral
relations and consult on international developments
and issues. They will remain in frequent contact by
telephone and through letters.

3. The two countries will also hold an Annual Foreign
Policy Dialogue at the level of the Secretary of State of

4 INDIA NEWS « April 2000

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the United States and External Affairs Minister of India.
This dialogue will be broad-based and touch upon all
aspects of US-India relations, including considering the
work of other groups as appropriate.

4. The two countries also consider the ongoing Dia-
logue on Security and Non-proliferation between the
Deputy Secretary of State of the United States and
External Affairs Minister of India important for improv-
ing mutual understanding on bilateral, regional and inter-
national security matters. They agreed that this dialogue
should continue and take place semi-annually or as
often as considered desirable by both sides. The Princi-
pals of this dialogue will establish Expert Groups on
specific issues as considered desirable and appropriate.

5. Foreign Office Consultations between the Under Sec-
retary of State for Political Affairs of the United States
and Foreign Secretary of India will continue. The two
leaders believe that close cooperation between the two
countries is a factor of stability in the politically and
culturally diverse and rapidly transforming Asia. A Dia-
logue on Asian Security will also be conducted as part
of the Foreign Office Consultations. The two sides will
also stay in close touch and consult on international
democracy initiatives.

6. The two leaders consider combating international
terrorism as one of the most important global chal-
lenges. They expressed satisfaction at the establish-
ment of the Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism
and its productive first meeting in February 2000. They
agree that the Joint Working Group should continue to
meet regularly and become an effective mechanism for
the two countries to share information and intensify
their cooperation in combating terrorism.

7. The two leaders see an enormous potential for en-
hancement of economic and business relations between
the two countries in the Knowledge Age. They decided
to institutionalize bilateral economic dialogue. They
will keep themselves informed and follow developments
in the bilateral economic dialogue closely through a
high-level coordinating group. The coordinating group
will be led on the U.S. side by the White House with the
support of the State Department, and on the Indian side
by the Prime Minister's Office with the support of the
Ministry of External Affairs.

The Coordinating Group will develop a common eco-
nomic agenda for and undertake preparations for the
Heads of Government meetings. With broad inter-agency
and inter-ministerial representations at senior official
levels, it would convene regularly to facilitate close
coordination on the various issues raised in the minis-
terial dialogues and ensure that discussions therein
complement and reinforce broad economic and foreign
policy objectives, including the deepening of bilateral
cooperation on high technology and information tech-
nology issues.

See INDIA-U.S. RELATIONS, Page 5