US keen to see continuation of Indo-Pak talks

MANDATE 2004

Conveying its readiness to work with the incoming Congress-led government, the US yesterday said it was "very keen" to see the dialogue process between India and Pakistan continue and is "encouraging" the two countries to carry forward with this initiative.

Complimenting Congress President Sonia Gandhi for her election victory, US Ambassador David Mulford told reporters that Washington was "optimistic", "enthusiastic" and ready to work with the new government here.

Asked about the charge by some BJP leaders during the election campaign that the Congress could not be trusted to negotiate peace with Pakistan, the American envoy said he saw no reason for such apprehensions.

He said the Indo-Pak dialogue that was taking place enjoyed wide popularity with the public of both countries. He said these sentiments were witnessed in the recent cricket matches between them.

He said the us did not see any change in the groundswell of support for the peace initiative in the two neighbouring countries.

"The US is very keen to see the process continue. We are not mediating. We are not managing the process. We are encouraging both countries to press on with that initiative which we think they want to. We think it is constructive if they do", he said.

Mulford said the White House and the US State Department had extended the good wishes of the US for the Congress election victory and for Gandhi's "great accomplishment" and conveyed "support of the US to the new government".

Observing that the US-India relationship is a "key" relationship for Washington, he said the Bush administration attached "high priority" to the strategic relationship between the two countries.

He said this priority has been maintained in the transition from the Clinton administration to the Bush administration.

Mulford said the relationship US has with India,"besides being based on the importance of strategic interest of the two countries, is in the process of being expanded into a comprehensive relationship taking all areas of activities between them".

The US admired the democratic process in India which has just been demonstrated so graphically and effectively in these elections, he said.

"We have strong and comprehensive economic interest which is of key importance to US," he said.

Asked whether the change of government at the Centre would have any impact on the strategic partnership, he said "the priorities are the same".

About the strategic initiative taken by President George W Bush and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which included civilian, nulcear and space issues besides hi-tech commerce and missile defence, he said it was a "complex" process and there were things to be worked out and agreed to by the two countries.