Antony holds first round of talks with Gates

Washington, Sept 10 (PTI) As the Indo-US nuclear accord
comes up for ratification by the U.S. Congress, New Delhi and
Washington Wednesday opened their first high level contacts
with the two Defence Ministers expressing "great satisfaction"
at the pace of mutual defence and security cooperation.

Defence Minister AK Antony, the first high level Indian
politician to visit Washington after the Vienna wavier by the
Nuclear Suppliers Group (N.S.G.) had his first round of talks
with his American counterpart Robert Gates here.

Issues which figures ranged from Defence, security to
global and regional matters, Pentagon officials said. Top
officials from both the sides were present at the meeting.
" It was very businesslike and focused," the official told
PTI reflecting what the American side had been anticipating
all along.

" To say that they reviewed just the gamut of relations
would be very stale," the official remarked.

Antony's visit comes at a time when the relationship
between the United States and India have reached a new peak
not just in the realm of defence cooperation but in other
areas.

The civilian nuclear deal could well be a topic of
discussion between Antony and Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice at the State Department, to be followed by a meeting at
the White House with National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley.

Another senior official who was a participant in the
talks between Antony and Gates said they reviewed "with great
satisfaction" the existing state of defence and security
cooperation between the United States and India.

Keeping the survey of the depth and width of
the existing relationship aside, officials pointed out to
the "spectacular" Honour guard that was presented to Antony at
his arrival at the Pentagon that in many ways is said to have
reflected the true spirit of the bilateral friendship that has
evolved over the recent years.

Before Antony arrived in the U.S., a senior Pentagon
official said that the bilateral relationship had taken on a
"momentum" of its own.

"The interest in India is more than in the early 1990s.
The interest is now reinforced by frequent visits. We are past
the point where we have to talk up the relationship or brief
people why it matters. We are at a point where the
relationship has a self sustaining momentum.

"Therefore visits add to the momentum but absence does
not subtract from it," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence
James Clad said.