Washington: Asserting that Indo-US ties were on a "very firm footing", US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has said the historic nuclear deal was part of the broader framework for a more "enduring" friendship with India.

".... It is indeed an historic agreement. It is an agreement that cements an effort that we have been making for some time to bring together the world s largest democracy with the world's oldest continuous democracy," Rice said at a reception by State Department to thank all those responsible for getting the legislation through Congress. Rice said she was looking forward to her visit to New Delhi where she is likely to ink the nuclear agreement.

"The relationship between the United States and India is on a very firm footing, and that can only be good for democracy and it can only be good for the world," the top official said. "I've been on the phone with Foreign Minister (Pranab Mukerjee Mukherjee just a few minutes ago. He will go to Delhi. I will join him there in a couple of days, and I look forward to that," Rice said.

Rice said there were a lot of architects and driving forces behind the agreement, which "is not the only element of the relationship" with India and that the friendship runs deeper and includes economic and cultural ties.

"... This has been Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President (George W ) Bush's vision to have this agreement cement and be one of the cornerstones of our relationship, but I just want to take a moment to say that it is not the only element of this relationship," she said.
Source : PTI