INDIA REITERATES INTEREST IN TAKING ACTIVE ROLE IN

UNCLAS NEW DELHI 002628 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MCAP PARM PINR PINS PREL PTER KGIC SUBJECT: INDIA REITERATES INTEREST IN TAKING ACTIVE ROLE IN GLOBAL INITIATIVE, BUT NO SPECIFIC PLANS YET REF: SECSTATE 101862 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on September 29 to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Director for Disramament and International Security (DISA) G. Dharmendra. Dharmendra made no immediate reply about whether India plans to participate in the Global Initiative (GI) Exercise Planning Group (EPG) meeting November 13-14, but reiterated his government's intent to play an active role in the GI, to include proposing and possibly hosting exercises at some point. Dharmendra cautioned, however, that DISA's two-person staff is barely able to cope with the current demands of completing the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative, the Indian chairmanship of the IAEA's Middle East and South Asia (MESA) group, and the UNGA First Committee meetings in late October. He shared that DISA will expand by at least one officer in the coming months, at which point Dharmendra said he hopes India will play a more active role in the GI. WHITE