Congressional Statements

The past year in Indo-American relations

Rep. Jim McDermott Statement in the House of Representatives
October 28, 2000

Mr. Speaker, as we draw to the close of this legislative year, I wanted to highlight what has been perhaps the best year in U.S.-India relations. This first year of the new century has been a year of record setting in a wide range of categories, all highlighting the steadily improving relationship between two of the world's great democracies.

On September 14, 2000, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee became the first, and only, foreign Head of Government to be invited to address a Joint Meeting of Congress in the 106th Congress. The fact that this unique invitation was extended to Prime Minister Vajpayee is evidence that the Congress recognizes that Indo-American ties will continue to emerge as one of our most urgent foreign policy priorities in the 21st century.

I'm proud that both Houses of Congress came together in a bipartisan manner to adopt Resolutions welcoming Prime Minister Vajpayee, and stating in strong terms the commitment on the part of the Legislative Branch to work for loser U.S.-India relations. I'm particularly encouraged that the House Resolution contained a provision urging that the U.S. Government 'consider removing existing unilateral legislative and administrative measures imposed against India, which prevent the normalization of United States-India bilateral economic and trade relations.'

The year 2000 witnessed the first State Visit by an American President to India in more than 20 years. This year actually marked the second time that India's Prime Minister and the United States President exchanged summit visits in the same year: President Jimmy Carter traveled to India in January of 1978, and Prime Minister Morarji Desai came to the U.S. in June of that year. With all the changes that have taken place in both nations during the past 22 years, the exchange of top-level visits between the U.S. and India was particularly momentous this year.

President Clinton's highly successful and productive visit to India in March helped to cement Indo-American relations as no other single act could have. Additionally, the joint statement that was signed by the two leaders also produced many substantive firsts. It establishes a framework for long-term, institutional cooperation in many areas, including a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, an Indo-American Financial and Economic Forum, a bilateral Commercial Dialogue, and an Indo-American Working Group on Trade. Agreements were signed on energy and environmental and scientific cooperation. Recognizing the unique similarities of both Indian and American security concerns for Asia, both countries pledged a new partnership on regional and global security issues. The Joint Indo-American Statement, which was issued during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington in September, reaffirmed all of these unprecedented agreements.

These unprecedented agreements were reaffirmed, and expanded by the Joint Indo-U.S. Statement issued on September 15, during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington. Indeed, during the five short months between summits, significant progress was made. We have seen regular foreign policy consultations at the ministerial and senior policy levels. Our two countries have played a major leadership role in the launch of the Community of Democracies. In the economic arena, three ministerial-level economic dialogues and the High-Level Coordinating Group are working to improve the bilateral trade environment, facilitate greater commercial cooperation, promote investment, and contribute to strengthening the global financial and trading systems.

In their September summit meeting, President Clinton and Prime Minister Vajpayee welcomed the progress of the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, and agreed that it would also examine linkages between terrorism and narcotics trafficking and other related issues. They noted the opening of a Legal Attaché office in New Delhi designed to facilitate cooperation in counterterrorism and law enforcement. The two leaders expressed satisfaction that the joint consultative group on clean energy and environment met in July and agreed to revitalize and expand energy cooperation, while discussing the full range of issues relating to environment and climate change. They welcomed the establishment of the Science and Technology forum in July and agreed that the forum should reinvigorate the traditionally strong scientific cooperation between the two countries. In that connection, they noted the contribution of the two science and technology related roundtable meetings held in March and September.

The two leaders also welcomed the recent initiatives in the health sector, including the joint statements of June 2000, as examples of deepening collaboration in improving health care and combating AIDS and other major diseases of our time.

They pledged their strong commitment to addressing the global challenge of the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS through the close involvement and cooperation between the governments and civil society in the two countries. They expressed support for the collaborative program for research in various areas, including HIV/AIDS vaccine development, through the Joint Working Groups of scientists envisaged by the Joint Statement of June 2000. They agreed to encourage the formation of a business council to combat HIV/AIDS with the active involvement and participation of business and industry to raise awareness in the industrial workplace.

While relations between India and the United States have generally been cordial over the past half-century, the agreements signed this year in New Delhi and Washington represents a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

During Prime Minister Vajpayee's visit to Washington, the Official Dinner hosted by President Clinton was the largest banquet at the White House during the eight years of the Clinton Presidency, with more than 700 guests in attendance. This number reflects the growing size and success of the Indian-American community, a community which finds itself at or near first place in terms of levels of education, income and professional attainment among ethnic groups in our country. The guest list also demonstrates the growing interest and support among Americans from all backgrounds of closer ties with India.

A final marker of the strong relationship that has been formed was seen with the dedication of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi across from the Indian Embassy on Washington's Embassy Row. The ceremony to dedicate the statue was led by President Clinton and Prime Minister Vajpayee. For Americans, Gandhi's influence on the civil rights movement has a special place in our collective memory.

It is one of my most profound hopes that the relationship between the United States and India continues to deepen and expand as we move into the years to come. I have full confidence that our policies towards Asia will recognize the importance of India to our National economic and security well being.