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| Monday, 22 March 2004 |
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India warns ties with US could be harmed by reward to Pakistan NEWDELHI, Sunday (AFP) India warned Saturday that the United States may have damaged the countries' growing relationship by granting special military status to rival Pakistan and giving no forewarning. A foreign ministry statement said the US decision "has significant implications for India-US relations. We are in touch with the US government in this regard." Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Thursday in Islamabad, two days after he visited New Delhi, that the United States would designate Pakistan a "major non-NATO ally." "While he was in India, there was much emphasis on India-US strategic partnership. It is disappointing that he did not share with us this decision of the United States government," the statement said. A spokesman for the US embassy in New Delhi gave a one-line statement Saturday that said: "The US-India strategic relationship was the central focus of Secretary Powell's visit to New Delhi ... and continues to be the top priority." Powell, as he left South Asia, said the United States hoped eventually to have a similar military relationship with India. Powell said the United States wanted to have "a good relationship with Pakistan and a good relationship with India." India's main opposition Congress party had said the military reward for Pakistan showed that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's claims to have built warm ties with the world's lone superpower had a shallow base.Congress spokesman Anand Sharma said the status accorded to Pakistan was a "public repudiation of the Indo-US strategic partnership and various statements that they (the United States) are a natural ally on the war on terrorism." |
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