U.S. to remove Indian entities from restricted lists: Jake Sullivan

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaking in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. Photo: X/@ANI

The United States will soon remove Indian scientific and nuclear entities from the “restricted lists” in order to “fully realise” the potential of the India-U.S. nuclear deal that was signed between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President George W. Bush, visiting United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday (January 6, 2025). Speaking at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, Mr. Sullivan who paid his last visit to India before the swearing-in of President Donald Trump, presented the space and nuclear sectors as arenas of greater cooperation between the two sides.

“So today I can announce that the U.S. is now finalising the necessary steps to remove long-standing regulations that have prevented civil nuclear cooperation between India’s leading nuclear entities and U.S. companies. The formal paper wok will be done soon,” said Mr. Sullivan declaring the initiative in a speech. He described the move by the Biden administration as an “an opportunity to turn the page on some of the frictions of the past and create opportunities for the Indian entities that have been on the restricted list of the United States”. He called upon the U.S. private sector and scientists and technologists to collaborate with Indian entities to “move civil nuclear cooperation” between the two countries.

“Although former President Bush and former Prime Minister Singh laid out a vision of civil nuclear cooperation nearly twenty years ago, we are yet to fully realise it,” said Mr. Sullivan pitching for closer scientific collaboration between the two sides. Mr. Sullivan met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit. Following the meeting, Mr. Modi remarked, “The India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership has scaled new heights, including in the areas of technology, defence, space, biotechnology and Artificial Intelligence. Look forward to building upon this momentum in ties between our two democracies for the benefit of our people and global good.”

The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement announced that Mr. Sullivan met his Indian counterpart, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and briefed him about the “updates brought out by the Biden administration to U.S. missile export control policies under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) that will boost U.S. commercial space cooperation with India.”

“Reflecting the progress the United States and India have made – and will continue to make – as strategic partners and countries with a shared commitment to peaceful nuclear cooperation, NSA Sullivan announced U.S. efforts to finalize necessary steps to delist Indian nuclear entities, which will promote civil nuclear cooperation and resilient clean energy supply chains,” said the Ministry in its statement.