Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, stated that the relationship between Washington and India requires improvement in various areas such as security, trade, and other issues. She emphasized the need for closer cooperation between the two nations to address global challenges like climate change and security in Afghanistan. Clinton, who is scheduled to visit India next month, expressed the importance of upgrading the official ties between the two governments to align with the existing strong people-to-people and economic relations. She highlighted the significant civil nuclear deal signed between India and the US last year, which ended a 30-year ban on global nuclear commerce with India. The agreement will allow India to purchase nuclear technology and fuel for its reactors from the global market. In order to strengthen relations, it is necessary for Washington and New Delhi to build trust and address any remaining uncertainties in the relationship. Concerns exist among some Americans that increased economic cooperation with India may lead to job losses and lower wages, while Indians worry that a closer partnership may go against their country's history of independence. Additionally, there are plans for closer economic and trade connections, with negotiations set to begin soon on a bilateral investment treaty to facilitate more trade opportunities between the two countries. President Obama has emphasized that the United States has taken heed of past mistakes. "We will not use the global financial crisis as a reason to resort to protectionism," stated Clinton. She emphasized the need for increased cooperation between the two countries in combatting terrorism and improving intelligence-sharing, without going into specifics. Clinton expressed her commitment to helping India enhance its security capabilities, referencing the six Americans who died in the Mumbai attacks. She also welcomed the recent meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan, their first since the Mumbai attacks, which were attributed to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group by New Delhi. Clinton expressed confidence that India and the United States would support Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism within its borders.