Washington, Sep 06: The US favours close cooperation and friendship with India but in a way that it does not hamper Washington's relations with Pakistan. "The US works hard to have the best relations with nations large and small, old and new. But it is important that we concentrate on those major powers, and especially on those with which we have had different and difficult relations over the years," Secretary of State Colin Powell said in a wide-ranging speech he delivered at George Washington University yesterday.
"Our relationship with Russia and China and India fall into this category. And just look where we are now."

He said that US wanted to work with India and help it overcome its challenges and "we want to help ourselves through a closer association with one of the world's richest and most ancient cultures.

"We have, therefore, worked very hard to deepen our relationship with India. The two largest democracies on earth are no longer estranged, as they had been for many years. At the same time, we have done this in a way that also allowed us to improve our relationship with Pakistan, a country with domestic challenges of its own."
Bureau Report