The United States is resuming sales of arms to India, a move made possible by the Bush administration’s waiver of nuclear weapon-related sanctions (see GSN, Oct. 17) the Times of London reported today.

The United States imposed sanctions against supplying arms and munitions when India tested nuclear weapons in 1998. India now will receive “specific items of defense needs” from the United States, an Indian Defense Ministry source told the Times following a meeting in New Delhi yesterday between U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes (Roland Watson, London Times, Nov. 6).

At a press conference following the meeting, Rumsfeld told reporters that sanctions relating to the Defense Department were lifted and “the status of some remaining sanctions with respect to nuclear technologies … and missile technologies are something that the Department of State and the government of India undoubtedly will be discussing” (U.S. State Department release, Nov. 5).

Rumsfeld did not commit to lifting sanctions against transferring dual-use technology imposed after early nuclear tests in 1974, but he said the two countries would hold talks on the issue (Indian Economic Times, Nov. 6).

Indian and U.S. military officials plan to meet within a month to discuss ways that the two militaries can cooperate, such as reciprocal training of officers and joint military exercises, the New York Times reported (Celia Dugger, New York Times, Nov. 6).

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