The United States has described its talks with National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra as 'very successful'.
"It (talks) did cover a wide variety of subjects, including India's keen interest in pressing forward with high technology, commerce and civil nuclear cooperation," US state department spokesman Phil Reeker said on Monday. "These were areas that were, as you recall, first outlined by President (George W) Bush and Prime Minister (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee in November 2001, and they are areas where we have taken a number of steps."
"I would just point you to the fact that we are going to hold the first session of the High Technology Cooperation Group in June," he said. The group, he added, will meet both in India and the United States.
Referring to US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's visits to India and Pakistan, he said Armitage discussed the expanding bilateral relationship that the United States has with each country and commended both governments on their renewed efforts begun last month by Vajpayee's speech in Srinagar.
"As you know, the United States has a continuing interest in strong relationships with each of the countries in the region and in promoting peace and stability. And as we have said many times before, and Deputy Secretary Armitage underscored during his visit, peace in the region -- whether it is in Afghanistan or whether it is between India and Pakistan or whether in Nepal or in Sri Lanka -- will be achieved through the efforts of the governments and people of South Asia. The United States is ready to assist South Asians in their efforts, as they may request," he added.
