India more important to us than Pak: US

The United States has said that broad-based partnerships between America and India are critical and more important...

The United States has said that broad-based partnerships between America and India are critical and more important as compared to Pakistan “as New Delhi is growing as a potential power with global influence”.

“The US-India strategic potential is very, very profound,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and South East Asia James Clad told journalists during a conference call from the Pentagon.

While India’s neighbour, Pakistan, sometimes continues to search for Osama bin Laden and help wage a global war on terrorism, Clad explained, the US-Indian relationship is more important in the long run.

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“India simply must, as a long term consideration, matter more for us than Pakistan,” Clad was quoted as saying in the American Forces Press Services.

“India is seen as a potential power with global reach… It has been slow in coming. I think it will be slow in coming in the future, but it is steady. The trend lines are unmistakable,” he said.

Clad said India is on a major course to ramp up its military infrastructure with a multi-billion budget.

“It is the largest external-announced defence procurement budget in the world. And people are obviously interested in this,” he said, adding that 52 US defence corporations — including Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Ratheon, Honeywell and General Electric — have all set up offices in India.

Police personnel seen to control the situation during a massive protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, in Leh on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

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