New Delhi
As the opposition gets ready to target the government over the
India-US civil nuclear deal in parliament next week, the US Friday
sought to quell anxieties here saying that it looks at India as a
"partner and not an ally".
"The US welcomes India's rise as a global power. The US looks at
India as a partner and not an ally," Theodore Osius, political
counsellor in the US embassy, said at a panel discussion organised
at The American Centre to celebrate 60 years of India-US relations.
Ashley Tellis, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, who participated in the discussion via a video
conference from Washington, also underlined the "special character"
of India-US partnership that he stressed was "between friends and
not allies".
"The US stands behind India not because it expects India to be an
ally or its junior partner. It sees India's independence as an asset
in the evolution of a durable and pluralistic world order," Tellis,
an influential expert who has advised the Bush administration on the
India-US nuclear deal, said.
Tellis stressed that although there could be serious differences
between India and the US in the future over global issues, these can
be resolved through "intense diplomatic engagement".
These differences in perception will have "a deleterious impact", he
said, adding: "The threat of future disagreements will not prevent
growth of relations between the two countries."
Lalit Mansingh, a former Indian ambassador to Washington,
underlining the independence of New Delhi's foreign policy, said it
would not be affected by its strategic ties with Washington. "We
will not abandon old friends to be close to the US. The India-US
strategic relationship will not grow at the expense of other
relationships," he said.
Alluding to the 123 agreement on the technical aspects of the
nuclear deal, Mansingh said it was "symbolic of a new relationship
between India and the US".
"This is the most significant agreement we have signed in the last
60 years," he said.
"We are entering into a strategic partnership with the US. The Left
parties have concerns on the nuclear deal. But we should look at it
as an opportunity," Mansingh added.
"There is no shame in getting assistance from friends to become a
major power. No country in the world has become a major power
without the help of other countries," he stressed.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will make a statement in parliament on
the nuclear deal Monday. This will be followed by a debate in
parliament on Tuesday and Thursday.
The Left parties that support the government from outside, as well
as main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party have rejected the 123
agreement that was finalised last month and pressed for its review
by parliament.
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