US hails close ties to India

The Clinton administration has taken note of the improvement in India-United States relations in the post Cold War era, saying ''our relations with India are now closer than they have been in quite some time.''

Said White House spokesman Michael McCurry, ''We have gone through an extraordinary period of change as a result of the end of the Cold War. We continue to attach great value and importance to the United States' relationship with India, one of the largest democracies on the face of the earth,'' he added.

McCurry said President Clinton would, no doubt, reflect many of these sentiments in his statement to be issued on the 50th anniversary of India's independence.

Earlier, a journalist asked about the White House response to India's invitation to President Clinton to visit New Delhi on the golden jubilee of its Independence and another request by the local Indian community, seeking his presence at their function in Washington DC.

McCurry in reply, said, ''I will have to check on that. I don't know.''

He, however, confirmed that the Clinton administration would issue an ''appropriate congratulatory'' statement in connection with the golden jubilee of India's Independence.

His attention was also drawn to several anti-India bills currently pending in the congress which would impact upon Indo-US relations.

The White House spokesman, in reply, said the question did not relate to any specific bill but, as a general proposition, he was aware of some of the anti-India provisions, he remarked.

The most important of them is the one introduced by Republican Congressman Dan Burton seeking to reduce the US development assistance to India in fiscal 1998.

McCurry said the administration, in general, had taken the view that these measures which came during the discussion on the foreign authorisation bill were detrimental because ''they tie the president's hands when it comes to the conduct of the foreign policy.''

''That is true with respect to some provisions that have affected India, and frankly, is true of some separate provisions that have affected Pakistan and other places in the subcontinent,'' McCurry said.

He, however, said, ''It remains our view that we have to work with our congress and try to iron out those issue and then effectively administer the law afterwards.''

When asked about the frequent complaints of human rights abuses in India, McCurry said the administration's view on the subject were contained in the state department's annual report on human rights which was made public early this year.

The report took note of the steps India had taken to improve its human rights record and had praised the role of the National Human Rights Commission.

UNI