MESSAGE BOARD NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
India and the United States on Thursday decided to revive the inter-government Defence Planning Group.
In the first high-level military contact after the Pokhran nuclear tests, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff General Henry H Shelton said that 'substantive' defence ties with India was not aimed at either Pakistan or China.
Emerging after a series of meetings with top defence and security brass, Shelton said that the inter-government Defence Planning Group would be revived by the year-end and would chalk out a framework for military contact programme.
He added that the group would be addressing regional and global security issues.
He said that the United States and India were 'natural allies' and that the American relationship with Pakistan was not determined directly by its relationship with India.
"We will continue to work with both the countries," he added.
Asked specifically whether growing military relationship with India was aimed at the containment of China, he said, "my current visit as well as our growing military engagement with India had nothing to do with China."
Shelton said United States' relation with China was also one of engagement and Washinghton saw Beijing as a non-adversary.
He said that during his hectic day-long talks in South Block, including meetings with Defence Minister Jawant Singh, National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra, three service chiefs and the defence secretary, the outcome of the recent Indo-Pak Agra Summit had figured.
Although India and Pakistan failed to reach an agreement at Agra, the highest ranking US military official to visit India said Washington was delighted that the two countries were talking and 'should continue to talk'.
Giving indications that the sanctions would be dropped in a piecemeal manner, the American general in a significant development announced that the naval chief Admiral Sushil Kumar and air chief A Y Tipnis would be visiting United States at a mutually worked out dates.
He said that the Pentagon had not expressed any views on the sale of air-borne early warning planes to any country.
But he added that a review was underway to ensure that such high-technology transfer to wrong hands did not take place.
On the issue of terrorism, Shelton said the United States along with other countries viewed this as a matter of grave concern and wanted international community to address this issue at the earliest in a determined way.
On the nuclear issue, he said that Washington was concerned with nuclear proliferation in India and Pakistan and wanted steps to be taken that this technology was not transferred further.
EARLIER REPORTS: US defence chief begins India visit, holds top-level talks US wants strong defence ties
Tell us what you think of this report
