Tuesday, August 16 2005 12:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The United States has described its relations with India as, "The best it has been in the history of the two countries" and admitted that there are some "issues" with Pakistan, its close ally in the war against terror.

"Today, in terms of the region, with India, I think that our relationship is the best that it's been in the history of the two countries. We have a programme for moving forward on that relationship," State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington yesterday (Aug 15, 2005).

With Pakistan, he said, "We're working very closely with President Pervez Musharraf on a variety of issues - fighting terrorism, supporting his efforts at economic and political reform in the region.

"So I think that if you look back to where we have been, where we were five years ago in our relationships, I think that you can see a dramatic improvement. That doesn't mean that the relationships are not without issues or that the region is without challenges.

"Certainly, they are there. But I think that we're working very closely with Pakistan, we're working very closely with India and as well as other countries in the region to address those issues," he said.

Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, past co-chairman of the India Caucus, hailed "Another year of tremendous accomplishment by the nation of India.

"As Indians celebrate their independence, they should be proud of their nation's rich history and its bright future," he said, adding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to the United States demonstrated the power of this promising country.