Advani invited to Washington

WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (UNI) Home minister L K Advani has been invited to visit Washington to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation, including an agreement on a joint cyber terrorism initiative, with United States officials as part of expanded India-US cooperation.

According to a fact sheet on US-India cooperation released by the state department following prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee s talks with president George W Bush yesterday, the defence policy group of the two countries will meet in New Delhi in December, when the agreement for joint submarine rescue will be reinstated.

The department said in a release that the US was also prepared to approve a minimum of 800,000 dollars in peacekeeping assistance, while anti-terrorism and interdiction assistance will be enhanced.

It said Mr Bush and Mr Vajpayee discussed Afghanistan and acknowledged an active role for india in consultations on the political and economic future of that country, and added that state department coordinators Richard Haass and J Dobbins will visit Delhi to discuss measures.

In addition, state department under secretary Paula Dobriansky will visit Delhi in January for discussions on global issues.

Further cementing US-India ties will be enhanced consultations on US missile defence plans.

The two countries will also establish a "new strategic framework dialogue." The us also intends to expand cooperation on export controls and promote high technology commerce between the two countries.

On the nuclear front, the two countries will resume the three safety-related projects of the nuclear regulatory commission (NRI), involving technical information exchanges on emergency procedures.

Other areas of expanded cooperation will be scientific and civilian fields such as weather, migration, and communications.

Hailing the economic dialogue between the US and India as broad-based, the department said there would be public and private sector interaction and cooperation in the areas of trade, finance, commerce, energy and the environment.

War against terror