U.S. wants to improve ties with India

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MARCH 28. The United States has said that relations with India have been ``very good'' and that it intends to further improve them.

The State Department spokesman, Mr. Richard Boucher, speaking on the meeting between the Indian envoy, Mr. Lalit Mansingh, and the Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, last week, said, ``these are normally fairly short meetings and general discussion of relations. Obviously our relations with India have been very good, and we intend to further improve them.''

On the recent visit to Kashmir of the United Nations Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan's visit, Mr. Boucher said, ``as far as the Secretary-General's visit to Kashmir (is concerned) we were informed of it and obviously watched it closely. I don't think we have anything new to say on policy. Our policy has not changed.''

Next week, the Minister for External Affairs and Defence, Mr. Jaswant Singh, is visiting Washington for high-level talks with the Bush administration. Mr. Singh is expected to meet several top officials including the Secretaries of State and Defence and the National Security Adviser.

The Bush administration has made it known that it is for continuing, if not building on, the momentum in bilateral relations especially as it has evolved in the last few years of the Clinton administration. This was one of things that Gen. Powell told Mr. Mansingh during their meeting. While Washington and New Delhi may agree on the width of the bilateral cooperation, interest will also have to be on the depth of the relationship.

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Section  : International
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