Washington: Ahead of the External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha's visit to the United States, Washington has said its agenda with India is "broad and deep" and it will be interested in further steps in the bilateral "strategic" relationship.

"Our agenda with India is broad and deep. As you know, the White House just made an announcement on how we can enhance a strategic partnership in a number of areas. That is something the Secretary (of State Colin Powell) and the Foreign Secretary (Sinha), among others, have worked on for some time," US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said yesterday (Jan 15, 2004).

He said the US would be interested in further improvements and further steps forward in its strategic relationship with India.

"So there is always plenty to talk about with our Indian friends and colleagues."

Boucher also said the US welcomed the political courage of Indian and Pakistani leadership in bringing about "some remarkable developments in relations" between the two countries.

"We would welcome the confidence-building measures that are being taken with trainings and sizes of diplomatic missions. We think that resuming transportation links will allow family members to meet and to improve people to people ties and that expanded diplomatic links help the countries address the complex agendas that they face."