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'Clinton sought a better relationship with India'

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has said that ''the fundamental goal of President Clinton's visit to India was to set our course for a qualitatively different and better relationship with India, not simple return to the status quo before its nuclear tests.''

In a signed article on the president's trip to South Asia, she, however, said, ''Achieving the level of cooperation with India that we both desire will depend on progress made toward non-proliferation.''

''The limits on our ability to cooperate with India, and Pakistan, are a matter of US law, as well as our international obligations,'' she explained.

Albright said the United States's approach to non-proliferation was global. ''We cannot abandon it simply because we desire an improved relationship. Any other stance would break faith with all the nations -- from South Africa to South America to the former Soviet republics -- who have made difficult decisions to strengthen their own security and the cause of non-proliferation by joining the NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty).''

''Our continuing dialogue with India and Pakistan on security and non-proliferation issues is part of our global efforts in this regard. We will continue to discuss how to pursue security requirements without contributing to a costly and destabilising nuclear missile and arms race,'' the secretary remarked.

Albright described South Asia as a region of rapidly increasing importance to the United States, offering opportunities and challenges. ''In the three countries that we visited, we strove to help fulfil the great promise of this vast region. In India, the centerpiece of this trip, our two democracies signed a statement on 'US-India relations: a vision for the 21st century', pledging to deepen our partnership in the search for international peace, equitable economic growth, environmental and scientific advances, and many other areas.''

In Pakistan, the president spoke directly to its 140 million people and promised to walk with them if their country chooses the path of democracy, rejection of violence and terrorism, and cooperation in the quest for regional reconciliation, Albright said.

She said the president was particularly concerned about the need to resolve the confrontation between India and Pakistan and the imperative of halting the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.

''He delivered a strong message in this regard in both capitals. He called for both governments to respect the Line of Control that divides Kashmir, exercise restraint with respect to violence, and to resume their dialogue. In addition, the president stressed that the people of Kashmir must have a way to have their concerns and grievances addressed,'' Albright said.

The secretary said a return to dialogue between India and Pakistan was particularly important now. Tensions had risen dangerously since the fighting last spring and summer in the Kargil sector of Kashmir, the October coup in Islamabad and the hijacking of an Indian airliner in December.

With restraint on both sides, she pointed out, a new beginning could be made on the talks begun last February between the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers.

Albright said, ''The United States regards proliferation -- anywhere -- as our number one security concern. We continue to seek universal adherence to the non-proliferation treaty. We believe the Indian and Pakistani nuclear tests of May 1998 were a historic mistake and continue to urge them to take steps to prevent a nuclear and missile arms race, such as those outlined in United Nations Security Council resolution 1172.''

''We recognise fully that India and Pakistan have the sovereign right to make decisions about what is necessary for the defence of their interests. But a pattern of steeply rising defence budgets in Asia would serve neither the subcontinent's security interests nor its development needs,'' she added.

She said, ''We believe that adherence to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty would advance India and Pakistan's security interests, as would steps to strengthen both countries' export controls and a global treaty to ban the production of fissile material for weapons -- and pending that, a multilateral moratorium."

UNI

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