Washington: A range of bilateral and regional issues figured prominently in the meeting between External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and his US counterpart Colin Powell even as the former remained non-committal on sending Indian troops to Iraq.

"We discussed the full range of bilateral and regional issues. But I would just say the most important issue we touched on was the fact that the United States and India have a very good, strong relationship right now and we intend to not only keep it strong but to build on that relationship, to move forward," Powell said after a 60-minute meeting at the State Department yesterday (Jun 10, 2004). Asked about the possibility of India sending troops to Iraq under the Security Council resolution it has welcomed, Natwar Singh made it clear that there was a resolution passed by the old Parliament against the sending of troops to Iraq.

And any proposal to seek a change in that will have to be decided by the coalition Government, so he could not say aye or nay.

The two leaders expressed their desire to further strengthen the Indo-US relationship. On cross-border terrorism against India from Pakistan, Powell said, "We have seen that the rate has gone down and we continue to monitor that rate and we continue to express our concern about the infrastructure (of terrorism) that remains behind."

Asked to comment on the results of the Indian elections, Powell said, "The people of India have spoken. India is a great democracy and we will work with the Government that the people of India have selected." "And we have demonstrated, I think, out here today that it will be a warm, productive relationship that is intended to move us forward and to build an even stronger relationship with India," Powell said at the joint press conference.

"The Minister said to me that he planned to move very, very fast, and I said I would do my best to keep up with him, because it is in the interest of the American people and the people of India that we move forward on our economic relationship, our security relationship, and we stay in close touch with one another as we work on regional problems," Powell added.

"As the Secretary said," Singh continued, "We had a very frank, wide-ranging, lively, occasionally amusing discussion on every single aspect of our relationship." "I have also informed him about the change of Government in India and that we intend to continue the policies that we have followed for 57 years," he said.

Singh said there has been a broad national consensus on India's foreign policy and it will continue.

"And we have hit the road running and I continue to do so. And since the Secretary of State is ten years younger than me, I'll have to run very hard," he said.

Singh said that he and Powell also discussed the situation in various parts of the world and "how it affected them and how it affected us" and there was broad agreement except for on one or two areas.

"And with your permission, Sir," said Singh, "since it is my first visit, I don't really want to put my foot into it and I'll leave it out."

"I have come to represent the Government of India on this sad occasion," Singh said adding, "The passing away of President Reagan has been widely mourned in India.

"My visit," said Singh, "also comes at a time when India and the United States are witnessing a period of close engagement in our bilateral relations." Singh said the Indo-US relations are expanded in scope and depth and my Government is determined to work closely with the US Administration to take this partnership forward in all areas. "Both our countries have clear commonalities in shaping a democratic and pluralistic world order free of terrorism