WASHINGTON: A team of US officials will be in New Delhi soon for bilateral talks with Indian officials on nuclear non-proliferation the team will be led by Teresita Schaffer.

Shaffer currently deputy assistant secretary of state is ambassador-designate of the US to Sri Lanka. Her likely successor John Malott will be a member of the team going to New Delhi for talks on June 18-19.

Other members include Bob Einhom Steve Aoki and Gary Sanore of the state department and N.Woulf of the arms control and disarmament agency said an official of the Indian embassy. The visit will be a follow-up to the last visit to Washington of the foreign secretary I.N.Dixit.

India as its leaders and officials have stated a number of times is in favor of continuing bilateral discussions with the US on the subject of nuclear non-proliferation. It sees little purpose being served in the idea of holding a five-nation conference to discuss the issue as proposed by Pakistan. The US liked the five-nation idea in which it will participate along with India Pakistan Russia and China to attempt to bring about an understanding on nuclear arms control for the South Asian region It is however open to continuing the bilateral process if India can show its desire to move forward.

Schaffers team is expected to talk about the five-nation idea which incidentally is disfavored by the Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao India does not see a useful purpose being served by the presence of Russia or China in such a conference. Russia is not the Soviet superpower it once was the center of while China has repeatedly demonstrated its determination to go ahead with its development and testing of nuclear arms. The Americans appear to have very limited influence or leverage over Chinas responses.

China is also reportedly unwilling to participate in a five-nation conference as part of the South Asian dilemma over a nuclear arms race. It sees itself in the worlds big power league whereas India sees China as an important part of the South Asian problem. Chinas participation without its desire to commit itself to a regional agreement on nuclear arms control may be pointless.

The US and India are expected to discuss the possibility of New Delhi and Islamabad developing mutual confidence-building measures towards reducing the nuclear threat in the region. An important measure was taken by the two countries when they agreed not to attack each other’s nuclear facilities. Other such measures could be devised by India and Pakistan though relations between New Delhi and Islamabad at the moment are somewhat tense following the interrogation and torture of an Indian diplomat in Pakistan.

The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) wing of Pakistan appears to have reservations against India and Pakistan actively taking up the process of talking bilaterally. The current democratically elected administration in Islamabad would seem to have little control over the activities and intentions of the ISI.

The agenda for the meetings in New Delhi on June 18 & 19 will not be “structured” said a source that declined to be quoted. The entire subject of non-proliferation will be open for discussion.

The US teams visit comes at a time of deteriorated Indo-US relations. Steps taken by the US against India on trade and technology have bunched up in a manner that has created the impression of a US determination to make India too its line.

US officials however insist that there is no such intention and that the Bush administration sees India in a positive light on the whole. Even the dispute over the transfer of Russian cryogenic rocket technology they feel may be seen as Washington giving a stern message to Russia rather than as hurting India.

One official said that the US is genuinely worried about an economically destitute Russia selling all sorts of advanced technology around the world. Russia therefore had to be given a message of American disapproval and India’s was a case in point. This American fear was highlighted recently at congressional testimony given by US intelligence officials who said that Russia’s arms and defence technology industries were in bad shape and looking desperately for some means of survival.

However India has felt disappointed by the US moves. Various measures adopted by the US may each have their own explanation from Washington’s point of view. But back in India they have created a suspicion of US intentions at a time when many had assumed that India and the US were at last beginning to understand each other and even cooperating on issues.

Schaffer’s team may therefore be in New Delhi at an opportune time for the two nations to discuss misunderstandings.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 19, 1992