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12 January 2004 |
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http://www.deepikaglobal.com/latestnews.asp?ncode=11356 |
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WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) The United States and India will step up talks on missile defence and cooperation on civilian nuclear energy, the Bush administration said following the recent lessening of tension between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. ''The expanded cooperation launched today is an important milestone in transforming the relationship between the United States and India,'' U.S. President George W. Bush said in a written statement released during his visit to Mexico yesterday. ''We are working together to promote global peace and prosperity. We are partners in the war on terrorism and we are partners in controlling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them,'' Bush said. The announcement was made on the same day Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said he would seek an early general election by April. Bush said the two countries would also step up contacts on civilian space programme and trade in high technology. The initiatives expand on a strategic partnership with India outlined in November 2001, and aim in part to combat the spread of unconventional weapons, he said. ''It (the expanded cooperation) will include expanded engagement on nuclear regulatory and safety issues and missile defense, ways to enhance cooperation in peaceful uses of space technology, and steps to create the appropriate environment for successful high technology commerce,'' Bush said.
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