U.S., India Sign Science, Technology Pact

India and the U.S. signed an umbrella science and technology agreement to boost cooperation in areas ranging from health to space technology. The pact, signed on Oct. 17 by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and India's minister of state for science and technology Kapil Sibal, notably nailed down intellectual property rights issues that had snagged negotiations since 1993.

It is aimed at expanding collaboration in basic sciences, space, energy, nanotechnology, health and information technology, according to a fact sheet distributed by the State Department. The agreement, officials said, would also complement the activities of the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum, established in 2000.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005