WASHINGTON Ahead of his talks with US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said India needs a growth rate of eight to nine per cent to industrialise and get rid of chronic poverty and pitched for transfer of dual use technology to achieve that goal.
“We are a nuclear weapons state, but we are a responsible nuclear power. We have an impeccable record of not having contributed to unauthorised proliferation of these weapons of mass destruction,” he said in an interview to CNN, aired minutes before he landed at the Andrews Air Force Base in the US on the first state visit of Obama administration.
“I think, India does require greater consideration of the international community,” he said when asked about the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and its implementation.
India needs to industrialise and operate on the frontiers of modern science and technology, Singh said.
“And therefore, restrictions on dual use technology affect our growth,” the prime minister said adding that India needs an annual growth rate of eight to nine per cent to get rid of chronic poverty, ignorance and disease which afflict millions and millions of Indians.
In that context, industrialisation and transfer of dual use technology can play a greater role, he added. To a question, the prime minister said the relationship between India and the US will not be affected because of the change in the US administration.
“I have no apprehension that our relations with the United States would in any way suffer because of the change of the administration,” he said.
Acknowledging the contribution of the Indian-American community, the prime minister said the relations at the people-to-people level are of great significance. The large community of people of Indian origin in the United States, the way they flourish, the way they have contributed to the growth of the American economy, has changed the image of India, he said.
“These days there are hardly any middle-class family in India that does not have a son, a son-in-law, a brother or a sister in the United States,” Singh said.
“And in that sense there is a great incentive for the two countries to look to further development of our relationship,” he said.
India meanwhile, faces maximum restriction in US’ dual use technology exports, with 11 of America’s 16 such regimes currently denied to it, despite being publicly praised by the Obama administration for its impeccable record on non-proliferation.
Agencies
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