Friday, February 11 2005 17:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The US should use its power more wisely than before as it no longer enjoyed the status of 'super power' and was not in a great shape, former US Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbott has said.

"US should use its power more wisely than before as it is not in a great shape," Talbott, president of Brookings Institution, Washington, said while addressing intellectuals from Mumbai University and the Armed forces on "India-US Relations: How real is the improvement", in Mumbai yesterday (Feb 10, 2005). Talbott said, "A super power should have strong military might, be strong in its Dollar and global values. However, today US has its hands full in Iraq... Dollar is not very strong and the global values have some dents. Therefore, the super power is not in a great shape today."

On Indo-US relations, Talbott said, "the relation is real but not as real as it should be. We have a very long way to go."

Criticising India's earlier stand on non-aligned position, which, he said had affected the relation with the US and isolated it (India) from the rest of the world.

On globalisation, Talbott said in both the countries there were groups who were against it and added that "it should be the endeavour to ensure that the gap between winners (with a better quality of life) and losers narrow down".

About 12 per cent Americans and 25 per cent Indians are below poverty line as per the World Bank data and the challenge before both the countries was to reduce this and elevate the standard of living while being able to compete in the global market, he added.