PM SINGH TELLS AMBASSADOR HE'S BULLISH ON GREEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002084 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2019 TAGS: PREL SENV ENRG ETRD IN SUBJECT: PM SINGH TELLS AMBASSADOR HE'S BULLISH ON GREEN COOPERATION, EXCITED ABOUT VISIT Classified By: Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer. Reasons: 1.4(B, D). ¶1. (C) Summary: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Ambassador on October 8 that he was looking forward to his November state visit to Washington. In a conversation on the margins of the annual Air Force Day reception, Singh stressed his strong interest in the U.S. and India working together on a second Green Revolution. On the defense relationship, he said that he was pleased with existing ties, but thought there was room for an expanded relationship that would include the Indian defense industry. The Prime Minister also spoke of the need for less restrictive export controls and said it was holding back our ability to work together. Singh hinted that he may not attend the Commonwealth meeting in Trinidad after his Washington visit because Parliament will be in session. End Summary. ¶2. (C) In an impromptu meeting on the margins of the reception, the Ambassador, accompanied by the Defense Attache, had a twenty minute long conversation with the Prime Minister. The Ambassador also had more brief conversations with President Patel, Congress Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Minister of State for Defense Palum Raju. ¶3. (C) The Prime Minister told Ambassador Roemer that he was looking forward to his upcoming visit to the United States. Singh stressed that one of the most important goals for his trip was to focus on a "Green Revolution II" that would be broader in scope than the original Green Revolution because it would require action in related areas like climate change and energy as well as agriculture. He was hopeful that the U.S. shared his concerns and recognized the importance of this key area. Singh said he wanted to work together with the President on this issue to move forward. (Note: the Prime Minister is ordinarily a very self-effacing man, but his excitement about this topic was evident). The Ambassador assured him that the U.S. was strongly committed to working with India, and had strongly pursued this idea with the Department and White House. ¶4. (C) In passing, the PM noted that was unsure if he would travel to Trinidad for the Commonwealth summit after his U.S. visit because Parliament would be in session during his trip and he wanted to reduce the time he was away during the session. (Note: The Trinidad Summit would be the next opportunity for Indian and Pakistani leaders to meet. This conversation took place on the same day as the bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. End Note.) ¶5. (C) Turning to the defense relationship, Singh underlined the importance of strong U.S.-India ties in this area. The PM saw further room to expand what was already a mature relationship. He suggested greater interaction between militaries and flagged the importance of opportunities to work with the Indian defense industry. The Ambassador highlighted the opportunity to invest in more U.S. defense equipment to modernize India's military and effectively fight terrorism. ¶6. (C) Prime Minister Singh concluded by stressing the importance to India of reforming controls on U.S. exports. Singh said India believed that it was still being shut out of technology that it needs for development and that existing U.S. controls were too restrictive. He told the Ambassador there was a need for change in this area quickly so we can move forward in our bilateral relationship. ¶7. (C) Comment: The Prime Minister is very enthusiastic about working with us on a initiative that approaches food security, clean energy, and climate change in an integrated fashion. Singh was clear that joint efforts would be critical on their own merits and as a symbol of how the two NEW DELHI 00002084 002 OF 002 nations could work together on a topic that appealed to the average person. We have strongly recommended to the Department that the signature deliverable for the PM's visit be a Green Initiative, which furthers the Strategic Dialogue's objective of supporting Indian efforts to become a model of sustainable growth for the 21st Century. The Green Initiative's focus on clean energy is a logical progression from the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement and accelerates both countries' economic recoveries. Clean energy components would include the creation of a Clean Energy Research, Development, and Deployment Center; the Indo-U.S. Partnership on Indoor Air Pollution/Improved Cook Stoves; several trade missions coordinated by USAID and Commerce; and an MOU on Energy and Climate Change. The food security focus would help India meet the challenges of feeding its growing population while adapting to climate change by improving productivity and promoting conservation practices. Food security components include a Food Security Partnership Agreement and increased collaboration between universities on applied research for high-yield crops. A key part of the initiative is a Green Technology Fund of USD 100 million to finance new technology and innovation projects. We are exploring potential funding sources for the USG contribution of USD 25 million to the fund. India has told us funding will not be a problem on their part. We urge the Department to support this Initiative. ROEMER