‘No going easy on security if US supplies arms to Pak’

During a discussion on foreign policy, Singh said that India’s relations with the US were ‘‘special’’, and added: ‘‘Our perspectives on specific issues may be different and that may lead to differences in policies…However, we share a great and enduring affinity as people are wedded to democratic values and today there is such a broad range of interaction between the two countries across the board,’’ he said.

On missile defence, he said India has not given any commitment about its participation. ‘‘At this stage, we are being given technical briefings and presentation on missile defence by the US,’’ he said.

He noted the Bush administration has approached the US Congress for the supply of a weapons package to Pakistan including surveillance aircraft and anti-tank missiles. ‘‘The UPA Government has expressed our strong concern over this move at very high levels of the US Government,’’ he said. ‘‘In case of US arms supply to Pakistan, the UPA Government will not hesitate to take steps to ensure that our Defence preparedness is not compromised in any way,’’ he said.

‘‘We have also conveyed that US arms supply to Pakistan would have a negative impact on the goodwill the US enjoys in India, particularly as a sister democracy,’’ the minister said. On the dialogue with Pakistan, he said India’s confidence is reflected in the 72 CBMs proposed to Pakistan, ‘‘many of them made on a unilateral basis’’.