Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Barack Obama , in their bilateral talks held on Tuesday at the White House, stated that India and the U.S. will start a dialogue on security and sustainability of outer space.
In a joint statement released by both nations, Prime Minister Modi and President Obama stated that India and the U.S. intend start a new dialogue on maintaining long-term security and sustainability of the outer space environment, including space situational awareness and collision avoidance in outer space.
Prime Minister Modi and President Obama also exchanged congratulations on the successful entry into orbit of their respective Mars missions. They welcomed the establishment and planned first meeting of the NASA-ISRO Mars Joint Working Group under the U.S.-India Civil Space Joint Working Group.
The leaders also look forward to the successful conclusion of a new agreement to support the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, to be launched in 2021.
Further, Prime Minister Modi and President Obama recognized the extensive ongoing cooperation in the health sector, which they will put to use in preventing the spread of the Ebola virus. President Obama welcomed India’s contribution to the UN Fund and donation of protective gear to the effort against Ebola, and thanked Prime Minister Modi for encouraging Indian-owned businesses in West Africa to contribute to the fight against Ebola. Prime Minister Modi also offered to deploy Indian expertise in the fight against Ebola, including by investing its resources in producing modelling of the spread of the disease, jointly producing rapid deployable diagnostics, and considering joint training of response personnel.
President Obama further stated that the U.S. stands ready to amplify India’s efforts to achieve a further reduction in preventable child and maternal deaths, including replicating India’s successful approaches in other countries.
Both leaders agreed to launch a new phase of the India-U.S. Vaccine Action Program to develop affordable vaccines for dengue, malaria, and tuberculosis, and the establishment of an adjuvant development centre.
They also agreed in principle to initiate cooperative activities to increase capacity in cancer research and patient care delivery, including by developing collaborative programs for and with India’s upcoming AIIMS-National Cancer Institute. President Obama also welcomed India’s offer to take a leading role in the Global Health Security Agenda.
Prime Minister Modi, who was on a five-day visit to the U.S., left for New Delhi on Tuesday evening. (ANI)