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US to Build Stronger Defense Ties With India, Says Rumsfeld
The United States will build stronger defense ties with India, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld vowed yesterday, but New Delhi said proposed US arms sales to Pakistan could affect relations with Washington. Rumsfeld, who is in India on the final leg of a regional tour, held talks on a range of issues with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Foreign Minister Natwar Singh. They were the first discussions at this level since President George Bush's re-election last month. "The defense relationship is a strong one and something we intend to see is further knitted together as we go forward in the months and years ahead," Rumsfeld told reporters, adding that he had invited Mukherjee for more talks in Washington. Relations between India and the United States have warmed in recent years, but Washington's decision to embrace Pakistan as a vital ally in the war against terror has been an irritant.Posted by: Fred 2004-12-10 |
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