Tuesday July 19, 2011

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By Sam Devraj  ( Assistant Editor )

Trade push: Hillary Clinton with India`s foreign minister SM Krishna in New Delhi on July 19

US SECRETARY of state Hillary Clinton urged India today to open markets faster and resolve questions on a civilian nuclear accord that US companies hope could mean billions of dollars in new business.Clinton opened US-Indian talks with a polite but firm push for New Delhi to get moving on key economic issues as both sides seek to firm up a relationship that thus far has promised more than it has delivered.“The stakes are high. So it is critical that this dialogue lead to concrete and coordinated steps that each of our governments take to produce real results,” Clinton said in her opening remarks at the meeting, the latest in a series of talks aimed at deepening political and economic ties between the US and India.Clinton's visit will cover a range of bilateral issues including counter-terrorism cooperation, an issue thrown into stark relief by last week's deadly triple bomb attack on Mumbai.She will brief Indian leaders on US plans to draw down troops in Afghanistan - which New Delhi fears may mean a hasty US exit - as well as on Pakistan, where the halting battle against militants has spurred questions about Islamabad's true intentions.Clinton did not mention Pakistan in her opening statements, but did underscore that Washington and New Delhi have a common challenge in confronting the threat of militant violence.“We are allies in the fight against violent extremist networks. And homeland security is a high priority and a source of increasing partnership,” Clinton said, pointing to a May summit between Indian and US security officials.“The events in Mumbai have driven home how important it is that we get results,” she said.US officials say they are generally pleased with growing levels of security cooperation with India, which range from intelligence sharing on terror networks to joint efforts against maritime piracy.But India has long been unhappy about what it perceives as Washington's resistance to sharing critical, real-time information on militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan that may be plotting to attack Indian targets.Clinton highlighted hurdles that continue to hamper progress on economic ties, which US officials say should be growing faster and deeper given India's $1.6 trillion economy.

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