Counter-terror cooperation with India high priority: US

Washington, Jul 9 (PTI) Ahead of the crucial Indo-US
strategic dialogue, the Obama administration has said that
counter-terrorism cooperation with India is a "very high
priority" for it as it would help prevent Mumbai-type attacks
in future.
"I do not see any limits on our counter-terrorism
cooperation with India," Assistant Secretary of State for
South and Central Asia Robert Blake told reporters during a
web-chat hosted by the US State Department Friday.
"This is a very high priority for the United States to
look with our Indian friends to ensure they have the best
system possible to prevent future terrorist attacks such as
the terrible attack that occurred in western Indian city
Mumbai in November 2008," he said.
His remarks came ahead of the key visit of Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton to India on July 19 and 20 for the
Strategic Dialogue between the two countries.
He said one of the hallmarks of India-US cooperation
over the last several years has been the increase in their
counter-terrorism cooperation. "We are looking to build on
that," he underlined.
The two countries, he said, just had a very successful
Homeland Security Dialogue that was chaired and led by
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano who went to
New Delhi in May to meet Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram.
"They had very successful meetings on a wide range of
new collaborative arrangement to expand on homeland security
cooperation and counter-terrorism cooperation," Blake said.
"We do not in any way try to hyphenate that with Pakistan
or with any other country. We do it on its own merit. We
attach a very high priority," he said.

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Blake said the US views with tremendous respect and
admiration the steps India has taken to expand its own
cooperation with Afghanistan.
He also said that he did not consider India a non-aligned
country now.
"I do not consider India a non-aligned country any
more. I think that really changed after 9/11 where India
really realised that it has a wide range of common interest
with the United States," he said.
"I do not think that India and the United States would
be allies in the traditional sense, but I do think, that we
have an expanding convergence of our national interest," Blake
said.
He said the two leading democracies of the world "have
common vales like support for free market economies, support
for peace and stability around the world".
Blake underlined that India and the US are increasingly
working together to help promote peace and security, "so that
is why our President has said that this is going to be one of
the defining partnerships of the 21st century".
In response to a question during the web chat, Blake said
the strategic dialogue would review the relationship between
the two countries and focus on the way forward.
"All her (Clinton's) focus would be to review wide range
of cooperation she already had with counterpart External
Affairs Minister, S M Krishna. But it is just important to
look ahead as to how we take this relationship forward," the
top diplomat said. PTI LKJ
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