PM to Bush: Congrats, an India visit will be milestone

The US President had then expressed hope of visiting India in October 2005, if he was re-elected.

While discussions for these visits will now get underway, both sides will not lose time in continuing their dialogue on taking forward the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership. The NSSP Implementation Group, which was announced only in September, has already held its first meeting last month and is expected to meet soon again.

Prior to this, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran will travel to Washington for the meeting of the High Technology Cooperation Group headed by on the other side by US Under Secretary for Commerce Kenneth Juster, who plays a key role in the NSSP.

New Delhi, for its part, has been deliberating on the some of the US-led programmes like the Container Security Initiative and the Maritime Security Initiative, which essentially entail greater cooperation in screening the transport of high-risk cargo.

Singh, in his letter, underlined the importance Bush8217;s 8216;8216;personal committment8217;8217; to improving Indo-US ties and praised him for these efforts which resulted in a 8216;8216;qualitative transformation8217;8217; in the bilateral relationship during Bush8217;s first term.

With India increasingly integrating itself with the global economy, Singh has emphasised the need for finding ways to take forward the economic aspect of the bilateral relationship, a dimension which Washington too has been keen on addressing alongside the NSSP.

8216;8216;We need to chart out an economic road map that would be an integral element of our broader relationship,8217;8217; wrote Singh while adding that both sides must embark on a larger and 8216;8216;more ambitious agenda for broader strategic cooperationn in high-technology, commerce and defence8217;8217;.

Interestingly, the PM has mentioned that India is keen for democracy to return to Iraq and was prepared to assist in the elections over there. 8216;8216;We all have a stake in the early return of Iraq to the international mainstream as a democratic country. India is ready to contribute to the electoral process early next year.8217;8217;

Further, Singh stressed the importance of both countries working together in fighting terrorism and eliminating it as an instrument of state policy. The PM said he looked forward to work closely with Bush to deny any encouragement to religious extremism and terrorism.

While India is still to take a position on whether it would participate in the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative8212;a counterproliferation programme started by the Bush Administration8212;Singh has conveyed New Delhi8217;s full support to prevent proliferation as a measure to strengthen international peace and security.

8216;8216;We are confident that the United States and India are on the same side in this effort,8217;8217; he wrote recalling his discussions with Bush when they met at New York. 8216;8216;As partners against terrorism and WMD proliferation, we will stand by the United States in strengthening international peace and stability.8217;8217; Meanwhile, President A P J Abdul Kalam also sent a congratulatory message to Bush noting that his administration8217;s initiatives in areas like high technology have a had a 8216;8216;strong resonance8217;8217; in India. 8216;8216;On behalf of the government and the people of India, I express my best wishes for further successes in your second term. We are confident that under your strong leadership, our ties would continue to gain in substance and dynamism.8217;8217;