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1 June 2004 |
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http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=60477 |
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NEW DELHI, JUNE 1: Renewing its offer to India on co-operation in joint development of hi-tech weapons system, including missile defence shield, the US on Tuesday said that it was awaiting the new Indian government's response. "We have renewed the offer as well as suggested to substantially increase the content of joint military-to-military exercises in the Indo-US joint defence policy group (DPG) meeting," Douglas J Feith, the visiting US under secretary of defence for policy, told mediapersons here. Reacting to questions on whether the new government may seek to downscale Indo-US military engagements, Mr Feith said that, "it is for India to make its own decisions on this." The US official said that the two countries had made significant movement in defence trade and exchange of information on hi-tech weapons systems. He said that the US wanted to carry forward the understanding reached between president George Bush and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to move ahead in the important initiative of co-operation on the defence missile shield. "We discussed the issue with new Indian leadership as both the countries are facing serious missile threats and if New Delhi wants to go ahead with co-operation on missile defence, we can be of helpful", Mr Feith, who is also the co-chairman of the Indo-US DPG, said after a day-long meeting of the group here.
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