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US, India Sign Defense, Nuclear Deals


The United States and India have agreements on arms sales and the building of U.S. funded nuclear plants.

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and India's Foreign Minister, S.M. Krishna announced the pacts during a joint news conference in New Delhi.

One agreement gives U.S. companies exclusive rights to sell civilian nuclear reactors to two sites in India. The other - known as end-use monitoring - ensures that highly sophisticated arms technology sold to India is not leaked to other countries. That agreement is expected to lead to a boost in U.S. arms sales to India.

Earlier Monday, Secretary Clinton met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the capital, New Delhi.

Monday's agreements follow up on a groundbreaking Bush administration deal between the United States and India that allows the sale of civilian nuclear technology to India for the first time in three decades. In return, India will grant U.N. inspectors access to some of its civilian nuclear facilities.

On Sunday, Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh rejected adopting binding limits on carbon emissions under a proposed global climate change treaty.

Secretary Clinton sought to downplay differences and expressed confidence that Washington and New Delhi can devise a plan that will dramatically change the way they produce, consume and conserve energy.

India, along with China, has consistently refused to slow the growth of carbon emissions, calling such a move unfair to developing nations.

From India, Clinton travels to Thailand for talks with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) ministerial conference before returning to Washington Friday.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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