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US Congressman favours scrapping India sanctions

A visiting US Congressman was quoted on Wednesday as saying he hoped steps would be taken soon towards lifting economic sanctions imposed by Washington on India after it conducted nuclear tests in 1998.

A Confederation of Indian Industry statement quoted Democrat Congressman Jim McDermott as saying India-US relations were important to his country and the State Department was working hard to maintain the momentum of this relationship

McDermott "was optimistic that the present administration would initiate measures to lift these sanctions soon," the statement said.

Although some US sanctions, imposed because of New Delhi's nuclear programme, have been removed, others remain.

They prevent the sale of US nuclear energy producing equipment, rocket motor technology, supercomputers and military equipment to India, as well as restrict 158 specific Indian companies from doing business in the United States.

The Congressman said he was hopeful the administration of President George W Bush would initiate measures to lift economic sanctions since they had an adverse impact on both nations and needed to be reviewed.

The Congressional delegation included Republican Edward Royce and Democrat David Bonior.

Royce told the Chamber that the Caucus on India and Indian Americans, of which he is a part, was trying to convince American business that investing in India was likely to be more profitable in the long run.

Despite India's size and status as the world's largest democracy, Washington and New Delhi had brittle relations until the Cold War ended.

But ties warmed considerably in the past decade as the United States recognised the importance of India as a political counterweight to China in Asia and saw more clearly the potential of its huge market.

The relationship gathered new momentum after then president Bill Clinton visited India last year.

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