Washington: Building on the progress in relations in the last three years, the United States has said it wants to continue strengthening its ties with India and said the next step in strategic partnership is to able to "help or cooperate" in civilian nuclear endeavors.

Though there has been a change in Government in New Delhi, the priorities of the Indo-American agenda remain very much the same in many ways, senior administration officials told South Asian correspondents yesterday (June 16,2004).

"We want to continue to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. This is not just lip service. If you look at where we have come in the last three years, we have come a long way. We want to do more up front," they said while pointing out that External Minister Natwar Singh and the US Secretary of State Colin Powell knew each other already and their talks went very well.

The officials played down the importance of the reported statement made recently by the State Department's policy planning director who wanted all of India's civilian nuclear reactors placed under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) control.

"The director's views reflected only one view. It was not the Government view. The Government realizes that neither India nor Pakistan is going to give up their nuclear programmes though the US supported the Nuclear Proliferation and other treaties," they said.

The officials said that the next step in strategic partnership provides for steps to be taken by both the U.S. and India to get to a situation "where we will be able to help or to cooperate in civilian nuclear endeavours".

"We have said all along that this does not mean the United States will change international treaties or its commitment to international treaties. The United States commitment to these treaties is not incompatible with the desire to cooperate in civilian nuclear endeavours with India," the officials said.

Stressing that the US is working with both India and Pakistan on export controls, they said, "We want to see an end to all nuclear weapons, and that includes the United States as well. But there is absolute understanding that this is not going to happen today or tomorrow."

Asked whether the director's statement implied that without full scope safeguards the US. would refuse to sell nuclear reactors to India, the officials said that in any case, "we are not going to be in a position to sell nuclear power rectors to India immediately."

Asked whether it can be done in the distant future, the officials said, "Would depend on a lot of steps being taken by both Governments. It involves, among other things, taking steps to improve export controls, their legislation and implementation. We are not there yet. You cannot (however) exclude it as a possibility in the distant future."

Emphasising that there is a lot of work to do, they said the US is interested in "seeing India strengthen its commitments, for instance, on intellectual property rights.

"The US wants very much to work with India to complete the Doha round. There will be intensive discussions between Indian officials and the US Trade Representative Ken Justeris who will be in India next week," they added.