Washington: The United States has said it shares a "good and healthy" relation with India in political, economic and military spheres, which has been "moving apace", but asserted that the enhanced cooperation would not affect its ties with Pakistan.

"We have, in my view, excellent relationships with India and with Pakistan," US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at a press conference in Washington yesterday (Jan 13, 2004) in reply to a question on whether increased Indo-US cooperation in civilian nuclear activities, space programmes and high technology trade would have an impact on US-Pak relations.

"Your question is about India, I don't believe that it will affect our relationships with Pakistan," he said.

"Our relationship with India is political, it's economic and it's military. And we have increased military cooperation during the past three years between the US and India.

"It has been moving apace, and we feel good about it. There are a variety of technical things that they or we may be interested at any given time, and they are being worked at the appropriate levels.

"But I think it's a good, healthy relationship."

Rumsfeld also said, "The evolving relationship between India and Pakistan is a most encouraging thing."

In an important milestone in bilateral ties, India and the US yesterday agreed to expand cooperation in civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programmes and high technology trade as also to enhance dialogue on missile defence, which, they said, would deepen friendship and increase stability in Asia and beyond.