The US will have massive opportunities to engage with India during the impending India visit of president Barack Obama, says a report by the Center for a New American Society (CNAS).

The report, “Natural Allies: A blueprint for the future of U.S.-India relations,” notes that India and the US need to take a big step to take the relations forward.

The report, however, said that the liability bill has put a question mark on the civilian nuclear agreement signed by the India and the US.

“The Indian Parliament recently passed a nuclear liability law that deviates significantly from international standards and renders equipment suppliers potentially liable for as long as 80 years. This law is a major disappointment to private and public officials in the United States,” the report highlighted.

“Failure to complete the steps necessary to implement the agreement, however, severely risks damaging the rest of the relationship. Consequently, the US and India must press vigorously for rapid implementation of the agreement,” the report noted. It, however, mentioned that during Obama’s visit both nations should give concrete meaning to the phrase ‘strategic partnership’.

“Past projects remain incomplete, few new ideas have been embraced by both sides, and the forward momentum that characterized recent cooperation has subsided,” the report said.

The report also recommended Washington’s support for New Delhi’s aspirations of permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

This report has been prepared by the former under-secretary of state for political affairs Nicholas Burns, the former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage and scholar Richard Fontaine. Burns and Armitage both served in the Bush administration. Burns was instrumental in India-U.S. nuclear agreement. Fontaine was the foreign policy advisor to John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in 2008.

The report states that the US interests in strengthening ties with India are based on:

•    “Ensuring a stable Asian and global balance of power.
•    Strengthening an open global trading system.
•    Protecting and preserving access to the global commons.
•    Countering terrorism and violent extremism.
•    Ensuring access to secure global energy resources.
•    Bolstering the international nonproliferation regime.
•    Promoting democracy and human rights.
•    Fostering greater stability, security and economic prosperity in South Asia, including in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.”

Read the report