Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said that India and the United States have no bilateral tensions.
Commenting on his scheduled visit to the US in June 2005, Dr Singh said, "This meeting of minds with president Bush will attempt to find out new areas where the two countries can work together."
Dr Singh said, given the importance of the US in world affairs, it was very important for them to be supportive of India's aspirations.
While returning home from Moscow, Dr Singh spoke on important issues with the media team accompanying him on board his special aircraft.
When asked about US silence on India's candidature for permanent membership in an expanded United Nations Security Council, in spite of claiming strategic partnership with India, he said, "It is true that the US has not taken any public position. That's all I can say about the matter."
India unfazed by Annan's view on UN reforms
Dr Singh and his senior team, including Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, are airing more and more realistic views about the ongoing talks, and India's possibility of getting permanent membership in the UNSC with or without veto power.
Regarding this most debated diplomatic issue, Dr Singh said, "International relations beyond a certain point are power relations. We know that power in the world is not equally distributed. Therefore, one has to rework the power equations. We are trying, but there are many hurdles in our way before we reach our goal."
When asked whether India will accept the permanent seat without veto power, Dr Singh, refusing to give a categorical answer, said, "It's no use counting the chickens before the eggs are hatched."
While speaking on the scheduled meeting of India, China and Russia on June 2, he said, "There are immense possibilities of co-operation. My government's approach is to work together with like-minded countries and take advantage of the forces unleashed by globalisation."
"The three foreign ministers' meeting is a positive step forward in understanding each other's concerns and working together in an increasingly interdependent world that cannot be separated into fragments," he added.
Shifting focus to happenings closer home, on the Nepal crisis, Dr Singh said 'the situation there is continuously being reviewed.'
"We have close and intimate relations with Nepal. It is our closest neighbour. Whatever happens there has implications for us," he said.
India resumes arms supplies to Nepal
When asked about the resumption of arms supplies to Nepal he said, "Whatever is in the pipeline we cannot hold back for a long time."
His decision to resume arms supplies to Nepal is considered the beginning of softer approach towards Nepal.
Russia will help boost N-power sector
Dr Singh further said, "I had a very good meeting with King Gyanendra in Jakarta. My advise to His Majesty was that he should restart the political process, outline the roadmap which will bring back democracy to Nepal. Our conviction is that constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy are twin pillars of Nepal's polity. Both pillars should be strengthened and should work in harmony with each other."
While speaking on the energy cooperation with Russia, Dr Singh said the issue was very important. "India's need for commercial energy is growing steeply. We have large expanding market. We have an energy producing country like Russia. We can work out suitable arrangement with it," he said.
