Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington, DC
December 9, 2006
(U.S. Department of State)

We welcome the strong bipartisan support for the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative shown by the Congress in adopting the legislation of the Henry J. Hyde U.S.-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006. This is a historic achievement and a major step forward toward realizing President Bush's and Prime Minister Singh's vision of a strategic partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies. The United States intends to fulfill all of the commitments it made to India in the July 18 and March 2 Joint Statements.

We greatly appreciate that Congress has made the completion of this legislation a priority at this important juncture in our relations with India, and also for their efforts in addressing the concerns of the Administration.

The legislation headed for the President's desk explicitly authorizes civil nuclear cooperation with India in a manner fully consistent with the U.S.-India Joint Statements of July 18, 2005 and March 2, 2006. It advances this key strategic initiative and helps build a solid foundation for the enhanced, multi-faceted relationship we seek with India -- a country that is a rising force on the world scene. The United States looks forward to working closely with India on implementing all aspects of the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative, and also to working further with Congress to translate this vision into practice.