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Relations with India must be on a 'much stronger footing': US

The eighth round of Indo-US talks on disarmament and non-proliferation began in New Delhi this morning with Washington expressing its desire to put its relationship with New Delhi on a ''much stronger footing''.

Soon after his arrival in New Delhi at the head of a high-level delegation, US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott went into talks with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

Talking to the media, just before the talks began, Talbott said President Bill Clinton was keen to ensure that the relations between India and the US became healthy.

''We have the highest hopes for bilateral relations between India and the US. I think the relationship should have a much stronger footing than it has had in the last 50 years. President Clinton is sending General (Joseph) Ralston, vice-chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, and me with other colleagues on this mission to make clear that this is his hope,'' Talbott said.

Singh said he looked forward to ''very productive and fruitful'' talks with the US delegation.

Besides Talbott and General Ralston, the US delegation includes Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth, mid-east, south and central nations office Director Karen Mathiasen, south Asian affairs special advisor Matthew P Daley and US Ambassador to India, Richard Celeste.

The Indian foreign minister is being assisted by Foreign Secretary K Raghunath, Joint Secretary (America) Alok Prasad, Joint Secretary (Disarmament) Rakesh Sood and Indian ambassador to the US, Naresh Chandra.

According to Singh, the four issues identified by the two sides for discussions are: the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, export controls, Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty on which discussions were already on in Geneva and India's defence postures.

Singh has already made it clear that there was no question of India succumbing to pressure from the US.

On the question of signing the CTBT and renouncing its missile development programme, he said, ''Talks (with the US) were not a consequence of any pressure but were undertaken with the aim of hormonising the views of the two countries on various issues.''

Singh has also rejected the US suggestion that New Delhi define its minimum nuclear deterrent so that it did not pose any threat to the security of its neighbours. India's persistent view has been that a minimum nuclear deterrent could not be quantified as it depended on the threat perception.

However, the Indian side appears encouraged due to some statements made by Talbott in the recent past.

In an interview to a national daily, the US official said, ''We don't assign to ourselves the task of telling India what it can, should, or must do in any respect, particularly on the most vital of all sovereign issues, that is protecting the security of the State.''

On the CTBT, India has conveyed to key countries that its security concerns must be taken into account. New Delhi's contention has been that the treaty favours the declared nuclear powers. At the same, India has stated that it would not come in the way of the treaty coming into force in September 1999.

This is the first time that Singh is meeting Talbott as external affairs minister. All his previous meetings with the US official were held in his capacity as the prime minister's special envoy.

UNI

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