Lok Sabha Question No. 1006 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-08
Subject: MoU with USA
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: RAMCHARAN BOHARA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1006 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2017

## MOU WITH USA

1006.

SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  signed  any  MoU  with  USA  to strengthen strategic Defence and Economic partnership;
- (b)
- (c)
- if so, the details thereof;
- if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the  details  about  other  agreements  signed  with  the  USA during PM's visit to the USA?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) to (d) The United States is India's important strategic partner for  achieving  our  developmental  objectives  as  also  regional  and global  aspirations.  Over  the  years,  India  and  the  US  have  made concerted  efforts  to  capture  the  true  strength  and  scale  of  our strategic, political and economic opportunities. India looks forward to  further  expanding  and  deepening  its  strategic  partnership  with the US in the coming years.

Prime Minister visited the United States from 6-8 June 2016 at the invitation of the then US President Barack Obama. There were significant  and  concrete  outcomes  from  the  visit  in  key  areas  of cooperation  such  as  civil nuclear;  clean  energy;  defence  and security; economy and people-to-people ties which were reflected in the  Joint  Statement  titled  "The  United  States  and  India:  Enduring Global Partners in the 21st Century', issued during the visit.

The following documents were signed in the run upto the visit of Prime Minister to the US in June 2016:

- i. Arrangement  between  the  Multi-Agency  Centre/Intelligence Bureau of the Government of India and the Terrorist Screening Center of the Government of the United States of America for the exchange of Terrorist Screening Information;
- ii. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)between the Government  of  India  and  the  Government  of  the  United States of America to enhance cooperation on Energy Security, Clean Energy and Climate Change;
- iii.   Memorandum of  Understanding  (MoU)  between  Government of India and Government of the United States of America to enhance co-operation on Wildlife Conservation and Combating Wildlife Trafficking;
- iv. Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MoU)  between  Consular, Passport and Visa Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and US Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security of the United States for the Development of an International Expedited Traveler Initiative (the Global Entry Programme);
- v. Technical  Arrangement  between  the  Indian  Navy  and  the United States Navy concerning Unclassified Maritime Information Sharing; and
- vi. Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU)  between  the  Ministry of  Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India and the Department  of  Energy  of  the  United  States  of  America  for Cooperation in Gas Hydrates.

The following  Agreements were finalized  in  the  run  upto  the visit of Prime Minister to the US in June 2016:

- i. Information  Exchange  Annex  (IEA)  between  the  Ministry  of Defence, Government of India and the Department of Defense of  the  United  States  of  America  to  the  Master  Information Exchange Agreement concerning Aircraft Carrier Technologies (it has been signed since then); and
- ii. Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement between the Ministry of Defence, Government of India and the Department of  Defense  of  the  United  States  of  America  (it  has  been signed since then).

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