NEW DELHI: A senior U.S. official said last week that Washington’s rapidly growing economic ties with India could enable the two countries to come closer politically and possibly even strategically.

Assistant Secretary of State Robin Raphel currently on a fence mending visit after her statements on Kashmir evoked angry reasons in New Delhi said U.S. President Bill Clinton regarded India as a lop economic priority for the United States.

The United States government from the president down is committed to promoting a growing Indo-U.S. business partnership. Raphel said in prepared speech at the American Center.

As we go down that path together we will create not only better lives for both our peoples but also new opportunities for co-operation in other areas of our relationship ranging from science and technology to helping build a world consistent with our shared democratic values Raphel said.

 Raphel caused uproar after taking up the new post of assistant Secretary of state for South Asia Appearing to question the permanence of Kashmir’s accession to India in 1947 when India and Pakistan became independent of Britain.

 Raphel said a major part of her Mission was to clear the misunderstanding caused by the remarks.

In any case she said she saw Indo-U.S. relations improving and not deteriorating over their known differences on a host of issues particularly on Kashmir which Washington sees as a disputed region.

The U.S. exports to India were growing in 1933 and India had enjoyed a trade surplus with the United States for 10 years running. The balance was $1.8 billion in your favor last year about the same as in 1992 she said.

Raphel said nearly half of all foreign investment approvals by the Indian government in 1993 were for proposals by U.S companies.

She said U.S. investors were focusing on the areas of India’s greatest economic need-power generation telecommunication expansion and monetization of transport.

 Raphel said the United States Supported a negotiated end to the conflict in Kashmir.

Our focus is not on how it started but on how it can be ended. The U.S. position now as it has been for several decades is that the way to resolve the dispute is by negotiations she said.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 1, 1994