JOINT STATEMENT - The United States and India -
Enduring Global Partners in the 21st Century
1) The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and
the President of the United States of America Barack Obama met today in the
White House during an official working visit of Prime Minister Modi to the
United States. Marking their third major bilateral summit, the leaders
reviewed the deepening strategic partnership between the United States and
India that is rooted in shared values of freedom, democracy, universal human
rights, tolerance and pluralism, equal opportunities for all citizens, and rule
of law. They pledged to pursue new opportunities to bolster economic growth and
sustainable development, promote peace and security at home and around the
world, strengthen inclusive, democratic governance and respect for universal
human rights, and provide global leadership on issues of shared interest.
2) The leaders welcomed the significant progress
made in bilateral relations between India and the United States during their
tenure, in accordance with the roadmaps set out in the Joint Statements issued
during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States in September 2014 and
President Obama’s visit to India in January 2015. The leaders affirmed the
increasing convergence in their strategic perspectives and emphasized the need
to remain closely invested in each other’s security and prosperity.
Advancing
U.S.-India Global Leadership on Climate and Clean Energy
3) The steps that the two Governments have taken in
the last two years through the U.S.-India Contact Group, including by
addressing the nuclear liability issue, inter alia, through India’s
ratification of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage,
have laid a strong foundation for a long-term partnership between U.S. and
Indian companies for building nuclear power plants in India. Culminating a
decade of partnership on civil nuclear issues, the leaders welcomed the start
of preparatory work on site in India for six AP 1000 reactors to be built by
Westinghouse and noted the intention of India and the U.S. Export-Import Bank
to work together toward a competitive financing package for the project. Once
completed, the project would be among the largest of its kind, fulfilling the
promise of the U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement and demonstrating a shared
commitment to meet India’s growing energy needs while reducing reliance on
fossil fuels. Both sides welcomed the announcement by the Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Ltd, and Westinghouse that engineering and site design
work will begin immediately and the two sides will work toward finalizing the
contractual arrangements by June 2017.
4) The United
States and India share common climate and clean energy interests and are close
partners in the fight against climate change. Leadership from both countries
helped galvanize global action to combat climate change and culminated in the
historic Paris Agreement reached last December. Both countries are committed to
working together and with others to promote full implementation of the Paris
Agreement to address the urgent threats posed by climate change. India
and the United States recognize the urgency of climate change and share the
goal of enabling entry into force of the Paris Agreement as early as possible.
The United States reaffirms its commitment to join the Agreement as soon as
possible this year. India similarly has begun its processes to work toward this
shared objective. The leaders reiterated their commitment to pursue low
greenhouse gas emission development strategies in the pre-2020 period and to
develop long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies. In
addition, the two countries resolved to work to adopt an HFC amendment in 2016
with increased financial support from donor countries to the Multilateral Fund
to help developing countries with implementation, and an ambitious phasedown
schedule, under the Montreal Protocol pursuant to the Dubai Pathway. The
leaders resolved to work together at the upcoming International Civil Aviation
Organization Assembly to reach a successful outcome to address greenhouse gas
emissions from international aviation. Further, the two countries will pursue
under the leadership of the G20 strong outcomes to promote improved heavy-duty
vehicle standards and efficiency in accordance with their national priorities
and capabilities.
5) The leaders welcomed the signing of an MOU to
Enhance Cooperation on Energy Security, Clean Energy and Climate Change, and an
MOU on Cooperation in Gas Hydrates.
6) Reflecting Prime Minister Modi’s call to embrace
wildlife conservation as a development imperative, the leaders welcomed the
signing of an MOU to enhance cooperation on Wildlife Conservation and Combating
Wildlife Trafficking.
Clean Energy
Finance
7) The United States supports the Government of
India’s ambitious national goals to install 175 GW of renewable power which
includes 100 GW from solar power.
8) The United States welcomes the launch of the
International Solar Alliance (ISA), recognizes the critical role it can play in
the development and deployment of solar power, and intends pursuing membership
in the ISA. To this end, and to strengthen ISA together, the United States and
India will jointly launch the third Initiative of the ISA which will focus on
off-grid solar for energy access at the Founding Conference of ISA in
September, 2016 in India. The United States also remains committed, with other
developed countries, to the goal of jointly mobilizing $100 billion per year by
2020 to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful
mitigation and adaptation action.
9) The United States is committed to bring to bear
its technical capacity, resources and private sector, and is jointly launching
with India new efforts, to spur greater investment in India’s renewable energy
sector, including efforts that can serve as a model for other ISA Member
Countries. In particular, the United States and India today are announcing: the
creation of a $20 million U.S.-India Clean Energy Finance (USICEF) initiative,
equally supported by the United States and India, which is expected to mobilize
up to $400 million to provide clean and renewable electricity to up to 1
million households by 2020; a commitment to establish the U.S.-India Clean
Energy Hub as the coordinating mechanism to focus United States Government
efforts that, in partnership with leading Indian financial institutions, will
increase renewable energy investment in India; a $40 million U.S.- India
Catalytic Solar Finance Program, equally supported by the United States and
India, that, by providing needed liquidity to smaller-scale renewable energy
investments, particularly in poorer, rural villages that are not connected to
the grid, could mobilize up to $1 billion of projects; the expansion of
handholding support to Indian utilities that are scaling up rooftop solar and
continuation of successful cooperation with USAID on “Greening the Grid”.
10) The United States and India also remain
committed to the goals of Mission Innovation, which they jointly launched
during COP-21 in Paris to double their respective clean energy research and
development (R&D) investment in five years. Toward this end, the two
leaders reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on research and development,
including through the announcement of an upcoming $30 million public-private
research effort in smart grid and grid storage.
Strengthening
Global Nonproliferation
11) The President thanked the Prime Minister
for his substantive contribution to and active participation in 2016 Nuclear
Security Summit in Washington, D.C., and welcomed his offer to host a Summit on
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism in 2018. The
United States and India will work together to combat the threat of terrorists
accessing and using chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological materials.
12) Recalling their shared commitment to preventing
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, the
leaders looked forward to India’s imminent entry into the Missile Technology
Control Regime. President Obama welcomed India’s application to join the
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), and re-affirmed that India is ready for
membership. The United States called on NSG Participating Governments to
support India’s application when it comes up at the NSG Plenary later this
month. The United States also re-affirmed its support for India’s early
membership of the Australia Group and Wassenaar Arrangement.
Securing the
Domains: Land, Maritime, Air, Space, and Cyber
13) The leaders applauded the completion of a
roadmap for cooperation under the 2015 U.S.-India Joint Strategic Vision for
the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region, which will serve as a guide for
collaboration in the years to come. They resolved that the United States and
India should look to each other as priority partners in the Asia-Pacific and
the Indian Ocean region.
14) They welcomed the inaugural meeting of the
Maritime Security Dialogue. Owing to mutual interest in maritime security and
maritime domain awareness, the leaders welcomed the conclusion of a technical
arrangement for sharing of maritime “White Shipping” information.
15) The leaders affirmed their support for
U.S.-India cooperation in promoting maritime security. They reiterated the
importance they attach to ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight and
exploitation of resources as per international law, including the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and settlement of territorial
disputes by peaceful means.
16) The leaders
applauded the enhanced military to military cooperation between the two
countries especially in joint exercises, training and Humanitarian Assistance
and Disaster Relief (HA/DR). They expressed their desire to explore agreements
which would facilitate further expansion of bilateral defense cooperation in
practical ways. In this regard, they welcomed the finalization of the text of
the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).
17) Noting that the U.S.-India defense relationship
can be an anchor of stability, and given the increasingly strengthened
cooperation in defense, the United States hereby recognizes India as a Major
Defense Partner. As such:
·
The United States will continue to
work toward facilitating technology sharing with India to a level commensurate
with that of its closest allies and partners. The leaders reached an
understanding under which India would receive license-free access to a wide
range of dual-use technologies in conjunction with steps that India has
committed to take to advance its export control objectives.
·
In support of India’s Make In India
initiative, and to support the development of robust defense industries and
their integration into the global supply chain, the United States will continue
to facilitate the export of goods and technologies, consistent with U.S. law,
for projects, programs and joint ventures in support of official U.S.-India
defense cooperation.
18) The leaders also committed to enhance
cooperation in support of the Government of India’s Make In India Initiative
and expand the co-production and co-development of technologies under the
Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI). They welcomed the
establishment of new DTTI working groups to include agreed items covering
Naval Systems, Air Systems, and other Weapons Systems. The leaders announced
the finalization of the text of an Information Exchange Annex under the Joint
Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation.
19) President Obama thanked Prime Minister Modi for
his government’s support for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
missions in India, including a recovery mission that resulted in the recent
repatriation of remains of the United States Service Members missing since the
Second World War. The leaders announced their commitment to future DPAA missions.
20) As space faring nations, India and the United
States acknowledge that outer space should be an ever expanding frontier of
human endeavour, and look forward to deepening their cooperation on earth observation,
Mars exploration, space education and manned space flight. The leaders welcomed
the progress toward establishment of an ISRO-NASA Heliophysics Working
Group as well as toward finalization of a Memorandum of Understanding for
exchange of earth observation satellite data.
21) The leaders emphasized that cyberspace enables
economic growth and development, and reaffirmed their commitment to an open,
interoperable, secure, and reliable Internet, underpinned by the
multistakeholder model of Internet governance. They committed to deepen
cooperation on cybersecurity and welcomed the understanding reached to finalize
the Framework for the U.S.-India Cyber Relationship in the near term.
They committed to enhance cyber collaboration on critical infrastructure,
cybercrime, and malicious cyber activity by state and non-state actors,
capacity building, and cybersecurity research and development, and to continue
discussions on all aspects of trade in technology and related services,
including market access. They have committed to continue dialogue and
engagement in Internet governance fora, including in ICANN, IGF and other
venues, and to support active participation by all stakeholders of the two
countries in these fora. The leaders committed to promote stability in
cyberspace based on the applicability of international law including the United
Nations Charter, the promotion of voluntary norms of responsible state behavior
during peacetime, and the development and implementation of practical
confidence building measures between states.
22) In this context, they affirmed their commitment
to the voluntary norms that no country should conduct or knowingly support
online activity that intentionally damages critical infrastructure or otherwise
impairs the use of it to provide services to the public; that no country should
conduct or knowingly support activity intended to prevent national computer
security incident response teams from responding to cyber incidents, or use its
own teams to enable online activity that is intended to do harm; that every
country should cooperate, consistent with its domestic law and international
obligations, with requests for assistance from other states in mitigating
malicious cyber activity emanating from its territory; and that no country
should conduct or knowingly support ICT-enabled theft of intellectual property,
including trade secrets or other confidential business information, with the
intent of providing competitive advantages to its companies or commercial
sectors.
Standing Together
Against Terrorism and Violent Extremism
23) The leaders acknowledged the continued threat
posed to human civilization by terrorism and condemn the recent terrorist
incidents from Paris to Pathankot, from Brussels to Kabul. They resolved to redouble
their efforts, bilaterally and with other like-minded countries, to bring to
justice the perpetrators of terrorism anywhere in the world and the
infrastructure that supports them.
24) Building on the January 2015 U.S.-India Joint
Statement commitment to make the U.S.-India partnership a defining
counterterrorism relationship for the 21st Century, as well as the September
2015 U.S.-India Joint Declaration on Combatting Terrorism, the leaders
announced further steps to deepen collaboration against the full spectrum of
terrorist threats.
25) The leaders committed to strengthen cooperation
against terrorist threats from extremist groups, such as Al-Qa’ida,
Da’esh/ISIL, Jaish-e Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, D Company and their
affiliates, including through deepened collaboration on UN terrorist
designations. In this context, they directed their officials to identify
specific new areas of collaboration at the next meeting of U.S.–India
Counterterrorism Joint Working Group.
26) Recognizing an important milestone in the
U.S.-India counterterrorism partnership, the leaders applauded the finalization
of an arrangement to facilitate the sharing of terrorist screening information.
They also called for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016
Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice.
27) The leaders affirmed their support for a UN
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that advances and
strengthens the framework for global cooperation and reinforces that no cause
or grievance justifies terrorism.
Bolstering
Economic and Trade Ties
28) The leaders highlighted the strong and
expanding economic relationship between the United States and India and
committed to support sustainable, inclusive, and robust economic growth, and
common efforts to stimulate consumer demand, job creation, skill development
and innovation in their respective countries.
29) In order to
substantially increase bilateral trade, they pledged to explore new
opportunities to break down barriers to the movement of goods and services, and
support deeper integration into global supply chains, thereby creating jobs and
generating prosperity in both economies. They look forward to the second annual
Strategic and Commercial Dialogue in India later this year to identify concrete
steps in this regard. They also commended the increased engagement on trade and
investment issues under the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and encouraged substantive
results for the next TPF later this year. They welcomed the engagement of U.S.
private sector companies in India’s Smart City program.
30) The leaders applauded the strong bonds of
friendship between the 1.5 billion peoples of India and the United States that
have provided a solid foundation for a flourishing bilateral partnership, noting
that two-way travel for tourism, business, and education has seen unprecedented
growth, including more than one million travelers from India to the United
States in 2015, and similar number from the United States to India.The leaders
resolved to facilitate greater movement of professionals, investors and
business travelers, students, and exchange visitors between their countries to
enhance people-to-people contact as well as their economic and technological
partnership. To this end, they welcomed the signing of an MOU for
Development of an International Expedited Traveler Initiative (also known as
the Global Entry Program) and resolved to complete within the next three months
the procedures for India’s entry into the Global Entry Program.
31) The leaders recognized the fruitful exchanges
in August 2015 and June 2016 on the elements required in both countries to
pursue a U.S.-India Totalization Agreement and resolved to continue discussions
later this year.
32) Recognizing the importance of fostering an enabling
environment for innovation and empowering entrepreneurs, the United States
welcomes India’s hosting of the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
33) The leaders
welcomed the enhanced engagement on intellectual property rights under the High
Level Working Group on Intellectual Property and reaffirmed their commitment to
use this dialogue to continue to make concrete progress on IPR issues by
working to enhance bilateral cooperation among the drivers of innovation and
creativity in both countries.
34) The United States welcomes India’s interest in
joining the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, as India is a dynamic part
of the Asian economy.
Expanding
Cooperation: Science & Technology and Health
35) The leaders affirmed their nations’ mutual
support in exploring the most fundamental principles of science as embodied in
the arrangement reached to cooperate on building a Laser Interferometer
Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) in India in the near future and welcomed
the formation of the India-U.S. Joint Oversight Group to facilitate agency
coordination of funding and oversight of the project.
36) The leaders look forward to India’s
participation at the September 2016 Our Ocean Conference in Washington, D.C. as
well as holding of the first India-U.S. Oceans Dialogue later this year, to
strengthen cooperation in marine science, ocean energy, managing and protecting
ocean biodiversity, marine pollution, and sustainable use of ocean resources.
37) The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the
Global Health Security Agenda and the timely implementation of its
objectives. The Prime Minister noted India's role on the Steering Group
and its leadership in the areas of anti-microbial resistance and immunization.
The President noted the United States’ commitment to support, undergo, and
share a Joint External Evaluation in collaboration with the World Health
Organization.
38) The leaders recognized the global threat posed
by multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and committed to continue
collaboration in the area of tuberculosis and to share respective best
practices.
39) The leaders noted the growing threat of
non-communicable diseases and the urgent need to address the risk factors by,
inter alia, promoting healthy lifestyles, controlling sugar and salt intake,
promoting physical activity especially among children and youth and
strengthening efforts to curb tobacco use. The leaders also reiterated the
importance of holistic approaches to health and wellness, and of promoting the
potential benefits of holistic approaches by synergizing modern and traditional
systems of medicine, including Yoga.
40) The leaders strongly endorsed expansion of the
Indo-U.S. Vaccine Action Program, which is fostering public-private research
partnerships focused on the development and evaluation of vaccines to prevent
tuberculosis, dengue, chikungunya and other globally important infectious
diseases.
Global Leadership
41) The leaders reaffirmed their resolve to continue
working together as well as with the wider international community to augment
the capacity of the United Nations to more effectively address the global
development and security challenges. With the historic adoption of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, and recognizing its
universality, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to implement this
ambitious agenda domestically and internationally and work in a collaborative
partnership for the effective achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
42) The leaders reaffirmed their support for a
reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member. Both sides
committed to ensuring that the Security Council continues to play an effective
role in maintaining international peace and security as envisioned in the UN
Charter. The leaders are committed to continued engagement on Security Council
reform in the UN Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council
Reform.
43) The leaders welcomed the successful convening
of the Leaders’ Summit on UN Peacekeeping and committed to deepening engagement
on UN peacekeeping capacity-building efforts in third countries, through
co-organizing the first UN Peacekeeping Course for African Partners in New
Delhi later this year for participants from ten countries in Africa. The
leaders also reiterated their support for ongoing reform efforts to strengthen
UN peacekeeping operations.
44) Building on their respective bilateral
engagements with Africa, such as the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit and
India-Africa Forum Summit, the leaders reflected that the United States and
India share a common interest in working with partners in Africa to promote
prosperity and security across the continent. The leaders welcomed
trilateral cooperation with African partners, including in areas such as
agriculture, health, energy, women's empowerment and sanitation under the
Statement of Guiding Principles on Triangular Cooperation for Global
Development. They looked forward to opportunities to deepen the U.S.-India
global development cooperation in Africa, as well as in Asia and beyond.
Building
People-to-People Ties
45) Both sides committed to open additional
consulates in each other’s country. India will be opening a new consulate in
Seattle and the United States will open a new consulate at a mutually agreed
location in India.
46) The leaders
announced that the United States and India will be Travel and Tourism Partner
Countries for 2017, and committed to facilitate visas for each other’s
nationals.
47) Reflecting on the strong educational and
cultural bonds between the two countries, the leaders welcomed the growing
number of Indian students studying in the United States, which increased by 29
percent to nearly 133,000 students in 2014-2015, and looked forward to
increased opportunities for American students to study in India. The leaders
also appreciated their governments’ joint efforts through the Fulbright-Kalam
Climate Fellowship to develop a cohort of climate scientists to confront the
shared challenge of global climate change.
48) Recognizing its mutual goal of strengthening
greater people-to-people ties, the leaders intend to renew efforts to intensify
dialogue to address issues affecting the citizens of both countries that arise
due to differences in the approaches of legal systems, including issues
relating to cross-country marriage, divorce and child custody.
49) Prime Minister Modi welcomed the United States
repatriation of antiquities to India. The leaders also committed to redouble
their efforts to combat the theft and trafficking of cultural objects.
50) Prime Minister Modi thanked President Obama for
his gracious invitation and warmth of hospitality. He extended an
invitation for President Obama to visit India at his convenience.
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