♤ Since the end of Cold War and increasingly in the last decade common strategic interests such as managing the rise of China, ensuring maritime security and confronting international terrorism combined with shared values such as democracy have driven these relations.

1.3. The Civil Nuclear Deal: A New Era

♤ In 2005 India-USA announced their intention to conclude a bilateral civil nuclear agreement. The bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement was finalized in July 2007 and signed in October 2008 after the US congress passed the 123 agreement bill in September of that year and the NSG agreed to exempt India from its rule requiring full scope safeguards for nuclear trade with non-weapon states. The process also involved negotiating India specific safeguards with the IAEA.

♤ The agreement:

o Provided for separation of India’s military and civilian facilities,