On Wednesday (Jan 15), the United States removed three prominent Indian organizations from its restricted list, aiming to strengthen civil nuclear cooperation between India’s leading nuclear institutions and American companies.
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre | Press Information Bureau of India
Three Major Indian Entities Removed from the Restricted List
The list now excludes entities such as Indian Rare Earths, the Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre (IGCAR), and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
What makes it important?
As stated by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the US Department of Commerce, this decision is intended to "support US foreign policy objectives by reducing barriers to advanced energy cooperation, including joint research and development and science and technology cooperation, towards shared energy security needs and goals."
In a statement, the department emphasized the shared advantages of US-India cooperation in peaceful nuclear research and development, further adding that "The United States and India share a commitment to advancing peaceful nuclear cooperation and associated research and development activities, with strengthened science and technology cooperation over the past several years that has benefitted both countries and their partner countries around the world."
The announcement follows remarks made earlier this month by outgoing US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during his visit to India. In a press conference in New Delhi, Sullivan emphasized Washington’s commitment to lifting long-standing restrictions on civil nuclear cooperation.
"Although former president Bush and former PM Dr Manmohan Singh laid out a vision of civil nuclear cooperation nearly 20 years ago, we have yet to fully realise it," Sullivan said.
He mentioned that the Biden administration has concluded that it is time to take the next significant step in solidifying the US-India partnership.
Matthew Borman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, stated that removing these entities would foster stronger cooperation between the two nations. He emphasized that this move would lead to closer collaboration and allow both countries to "secure more resilient critical minerals and clean energy supply chains."
At the same time, the US Department of Commerce has placed 11 Chinese organizations on its Entity List, citing actions that are "contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests."
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