UNCLAS NEW DELHI 000750

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO PTER KNNP PREL PGOV TPHY TRGY KSCA IN
SUBJECT: Bio-Terrorism Tabletop and Bio-Security
Initiatives With India


1. Summary: On January 7, 2005, OES/DAS Morin met with the
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare (MOH) and the Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) officials to present US - India Counterterrorism Joint
Working Group (CTJWG) on a bio-terrorism tabletop exercise
and on strengthening bio-security. Ministry Officials
response to these Washington-funded proposals was tepid.
Mission will follow-up in mid-February to determine status
of the proposals. MEA official also told Morin that India
would like to participate in the ITER project. End summary.

Bio-Terrorism Tabletop Exercise: Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA)
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2. On January 7, 2005, DAS Lee Morin met with Mr. S.K.
Swami, Director, Disaster Management Division, Ministry of
Home Affairs, to present to Mr. Swami the CTJWG proposal on
a bio-terrorism tabletop exercise. The meeting took place
in the room that had been set up at the Ministry of Home
Affairs as a command center for tsunami relief. DAS Morin
managed to engage Mr. Swami's partial attention as aides
kept bringing Mr. Swami files for approval. DAS Morin
emphasized to Mr. Swami that this proposed bio-terrorism
tabletop exercise was funded and only required Government of
India approval to get underway. Mr. Swami told DAS Morin
that MHA would get back to us.

Strengthening Bio-Security: Ministry of Health (MOH)
-------------- --------------

3. DAS Morin also met with Mr. Raj Kumar Gadwal, the Under
Secretary of the Department of Health, Ministry of Health

SIPDIS
and Family Welfare, to present the proposal for
collaborations on "Strengthening Bio-Security." Mr. Gadwal
was responsive to the importance of strengthening bio-
security. DAS Morin emphasized that funding is available
for this activity and that the USG only required GOI
approval to begin the collaboration. Gadwal told DAS Morin
that such work requires interagency clearance so that
India's reply would take some time.

Follow-Up Meeting With Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
-------------- --------------

4. DAS Morin met with Meera Shankar, Additional Secretary,
UN, Ministry of External Affairs, to discuss the two
proposals. While Ms. Shankar well understood that the
proposed work would add heft to the CTJWG, she did not
evince enthusiasm to push the Ministry of Home Affairs and
the Ministry of Health into engaging in the proposed
collaborations.


5. At the end of the meeting, Shankar said that India would
be interested in participating in the ITER project even
though she came short of suggesting that India should become
a member of the consortium.


6. Post will re-engage with the Ministries of Health, Home
Affairs and External Affairs to seek a positive response to
these proposals.

MULFORD