Interview with the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton

Question: Madam Secretary, I would begin by seeking an overview from you about the current state of ties between India and the United States. There is a sense that after all the highs achieved in recent years, the relationship is in a state of drift and there is no real forward movement. The high point of the bilateral ties, the civil nuclear deal, is not going ahead because of US concerns over India’s nuclear liability law. Is this a correct assessment? Your views please.

Answer: The United States strongly values our strategic partnership with India. During my visit to Chennai and New Delhi this past July, I was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian people, a national trait that we in the United States share. Together we are making progress on a broad range of issues, including regional security, development and renewable energy. We encouraging more American companies to invest in India, and we welcome India’s investments in the United States, which are helping to create jobs.

India is also playing an increasingly vital role in South and Central Asia, working with neighboring states to build stronger ties and new partnerships. One example is the vision of a New Silk Road, an international network of transit and trade infrastructure across the region which could bring opportunity and prosperity to all the nations within South and Central Asia. We all want to see ideas, goods, and people move more freely across borders. India’s engagement with other countries can serve as a model for the entire region. Another example of India’s leadership as a regional partner is the nearly $2 billion it has provided to help build a stable, secure, and prosperous Afghanistan.

More broadly, we believe that India’s leadership will help to shape positively the future not only of South and Central Asia, but also of the Asia Pacific. That’s why the United States supports India’s Look East policy, and we encourage India not just to look east, but to engage East. We are also committed to a strong, constructive relationship among India, the United States, and China. We know this will not always be easy. There are important matters on which we all disagree, one with the other. But we do have significant areas of common interest. Ultimately, if we want to address, manage, or solve some of the most pressing issues of the 21st century, India, China, and the United States will have to coordinate our efforts.

Question: Is India’s nuclear liability bill an issue or an irritant in the bilateral relations? Is the US still committed to full implementation of the historic civilian nuclear deal or is that conditional on India amending its nuclear liability law to meet your concerns? In a meeting with your Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna a few days ago you urged India to ensure that its nuclear liability regime conforms to the convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage. What was his response?

Answer: We remain fully committed to expanding civil nuclear cooperation with India, and have made clear the steps that India needs to take to allow us to move forward, including ratifying the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) for nuclear damage and engaging with the IAEA to ensure its liability regime conforms with CSC requirements. One example of our commitment to this issue was the recent Nuclear Safety Energy Summit in Mumbai, where you saw a host of top-tier American companies working to expand our private sector engagement and investment in the civil nuclear energy sector.

Question: Madam Secretary, it is no secret that the US-Pakistan ties have been under considerable strain in recent weeks over what many see as Islamabad’s ‘duplicity’ in dealing with terrorist networks. Many observers hold the view that despite Pakistan’s ‘duplicity’ the US has very little room for taking any punitive action against it. Do you share this view?

Answer: The United States is deeply committed to our long-standing relationship with Pakistan despite the complexities and challenges that sometimes arise. Though we’ve had our differences, both of our countries recognize the critical need for continued cooperation across a wide range of issues – and especially in our shared fight against terrorism. Together we have worked to destroy, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaida, and we will continue to find ways to work together to combat extremist elements whose activities threaten both of our countries. We are equally committed to working to better the lives of the Pakistani people, particularly through our robust cooperation on energy, health, and education.

Question: Madam Secretary, you would be co-hosting the India-US Higher Education Summit on October 13. What is the objective of the summit? What is the need of collaboration between India and the United States in the field of higher education? And why the focus is only on higher education?

Answer: One way we seek to expand our partnership with India is through educational and cultural exchange programs. I strongly believe that people-to-people exchanges are among the most valuable tools we have to foster the free exchange of ideas and build stronger cross-cultural ties among young people in India and the United States. At next week’s U.S. – India Higher Education Summit at Georgetown University, we will discuss our shared strategic vision to improve on our already strong cooperation in the area of higher education and identify new areas where we can grow our exchange programs. We want to see more students and faculty from India have the opportunity to study in the United States, and for the same number of American students and faculty to study in India.