New Delhi (India): Reflecting on the vision set nearly 20 years ago for India-US civil nuclear cooperation, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday stated that the United States is finalizing steps to eliminate long-standing regulations that have hindered civil nuclear collaboration between India’s leading nuclear entities and US companies.
Speaking at IIT Delhi during the session titled ‘The United States and India: Building a Shared Future’, Sullivan remarked that while the civil nuclear cooperation vision laid by then-President George W. Bush and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has not yet been fully realized, significant progress is now being made.
“Although former President Bush and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh laid out a vision of civil nuclear cooperation nearly 20 years ago, we have yet to fully realize it. But as we work to build clean energy technologies to drive growth in artificial intelligence and unlock the potential of US and Indian energy companies, the Biden administration has determined that it is time to take the next major step in solidifying this partnership,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan announced that the United States is in the final stages of removing the regulatory barriers that have limited cooperation. “Today I can announce that the United States is now finalizing the necessary steps to remove long-standing regulations that have prevented civil nuclear cooperation between India’s leading nuclear entities and US companies. The formal paperwork will be completed soon, but this will be an opportunity to turn the page on some of the past frictions, creating opportunities for entities that have been on restricted lists to collaborate deeply with the US,” he added.
Sullivan expressed optimism about the future of technological cooperation between the two nations, highlighting the potential for significant advancements in sectors like semiconductors, space exploration, and clean energy. “This is likely the last trip overseas that I will lead as NSA, and I can’t think of a better way to end my tenure, visiting India to mark the remarkable progress we’ve made together. I believe that in the next decade, we will see American and Indian firms working together to build the next generation of semiconductor technologies and astronauts conducting cutting-edge space research together,” he said.