Washington, Jan 16: The United States is willing
to discuss missile defence not only with India but also
with Pakistan, a state department spokesman said yesterday.
"What we are discussing with India, it is fully
possible we can discuss with Pakistan; missile defence, for
example. The key thing here is export controls, regulatory
controls, following through on commitments in a phased
approach," J Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman of the state
department, told the foreign press centre of the department
in New York.
He also said that "to date" the US has been "very
satisfied" with President Pervez Musharraf's fulfilment of
Pakistan's nuclear non-proliferation commitments.
On the question of high technology cooperation with
India - the so-called ‘Glide Path Programme’ and its impact on
Pakistan, Ereli said, "I don't think it should have an impact
(on Pakistan). We have a strong bilateral relationship with
India. We have a strong bilateral relationship with Pakistan.
Those relationships we see as mutually reinforcing. One does
not come at the expense of the other."
Bureau Report
