NEW DELHI, India: U.S, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger told Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi today that America wanted to improve its military relationship with India and assured him that continued US arms supplies to Pakistan did not affect ‘Washington Delhi ties,
Weinberger met Gandhi for more than 30 minutes at the Prime Minister’s office after arriving from China earlier on the second leg of a round the world trip.
His four day visit here is the first by a US, Defence Secretary.
Weinberger told reporters after his talks that he had expressed concern to Gandhi over the Soviet arms buildup and said he was ‘willing to provide more technology and U.S. weaponry to India, Whose main arms supplier is Moscow.
“I indicated some of the reasons that we feel a very deep concern about the actions and about the Soviet military strength and the continued buildup of the Soviets and their refusal thus far to enter into agreements that will provide genuine reductions that are thoroughly verifiable,” he said.
The Defence Secretary said he had emphasised that America’s lose ties with Pakistan did not present any threat to India.
Weinberger commented, “We ‘made the point that we believe that ‘we can have a very good friendship with both Pakistan and India and that is exactly the kind of relationship that we want, I don’t think that is impossible in any way”.
While refusing to discuss further details of the meeting, he said the United States had made it evident the past that “We think we can be helpful with the weapons systems that India wants. We can do it in a number of ways including coproduction agreements and things of that kind”
‘Asked if he was concerned about India’s heavy reliance on Soviet weaponry, he said , “Many countries understand that reliance on the Soviet Union for weapons systems brings with it a great deal more than the owner’s manual”.
On the possibility of agreements being signed during his current visit he said, “I think we would want to proceed at a pace that India would find comfortable”
“We had a very long and informal and productive and happy meeting, We went over all the points that I think were of interest to both sides.”
Article extracted from this publication >> October 17, 1986
