In an apparent bid to strengthen ties both with India and Pakistan, and create new opportunities for the country's defence firms, the United States is considerably increasing arms sales to the two nuclear powered South Asian nations, a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said.
The Barack Obama administration has said the meeting of foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan, held in New Delhi on Thursday, is a 'courageous' step by the leaders of the two neighbouring countries. "We certainly commend the leadership of political courage and making sure that the meeting takes place. Now, the challenge is to build on this going forward," said Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P J Crowley.
The government-owned Indian Oil Corporation is tying up with US-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory for a pilot project to produce second generation biofuel. This biofuel -- essentailly bio-ethanol -- would be produced from cellulosic biomass or degradable agricultural waste or wood.
A Bharatiya Janata Party-led government will not implement the nuclear deal with the United States if the Obama administration withdraws tax incentives to companies outsourcing works, a senior party functionary said on Wednesday.
"Universal adherence to the NPT itself -- including by India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea -- remains a fundamental objective of the US," Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary of State said in her opening remarks at the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference being held at the UN headquarters in New York.
"Tragically," he bemoaned, "neither President Zardari nor former Prime Minister Sharif appear to recognise the scope and seriousness of the crisis that their country is in or of the necessity of setting their personal or party political fortunes aside in order to meet the danger."
Commending the political leadership of India and Pakistan, the Obama administration has said it is encouraged that the terrorist attack in Pune did not derail the resumption of peace talks between the two South Asian neighbours.
