By Anwar Iqbal
Saturday, 05 Jun, 2010
WASHINGTON: India has assured the United States that it has consistently believed in the need for dialogue to seek a future of peace and cooperation with Pakistan.

Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna used a Thursday evening reception, also attended by US President Barack Obama, to convey this message, which emphasised the need for improving relations with Pakistan after more than 60 years of war, tensions and mutual suspicions.

President Obama used this opportunity to announce that he was looking forward to making ‘history’ by visiting India in November.

Although Mr Obama spoke after the Indian foreign minister, he chose not to comment on Mr Krishna’s remarks about Pakistan, which included a promise to build a better future and also a strong warning against “the continuing threat of terrorism”, which he said was “a cause of great concern for us in India”.

Mr Krishna’s remarks about Pakistan, however, were not hostile. Instead, they reflected a new desire to seek a negotiated settlement of New Delhi’s differences with Islamabad.

Mr Krishna noted that “the trust deficit in relations between India and Pakistan needs to be specifically addressed”.

Although the Obama administration is quietly encouraging India and Pakistan to continue the dialogue process, the US president chose not to address this issue in his speech.

Instead, he focussed on India and on its importance in America’s future global strategy. “India is indispensable to the future that we seek, a future of security and prosperity for all nations,” he said.

Confirming his plan to visit India in November, President Obama said he was “looking forward to the history that we will make together” during and after the visit and “progress that will be treasured not just by this generation but by generations to come”.Mr Obama said he firmly believed that the relationship between the US and India would be a defining partnership in the 21st century.

“The new National Security Strategy that I released last week makes this absolutely clear: A fundamental pillar of America’s comprehensive engagement with the world involves deepening our cooperation with 21st century centres of influence — and that includes India,” he added.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who hosted the reception for the Indian delegation, was equally eloquent in stressing India’s importance for her country and the international community.

She noted that renowned American writer Mark Twain once wrote, “India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition.”

Earlier, at a joint press conference with Mr Krishna after the inaugural session of the strategic dialogue, Secretary Clinton said the United States was “definitely committed” to consider India for a permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council and pitched for its greater role in meeting challenges in South Asia, such as securing Afghanistan. “We don’t have any way forward yet on the United Nations Security Council reforms but we are obviously very committed to considering India,” she said.

During the dialogue, the two sides discussed situation in the Pak-Afghan region and decided to step up cooperation in a wide range of areas, including defence and nuclear energy.