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Bush looking forward to India visit
The White House has said President George W Bush wants to build on an improving relationship over the years.
The White House has said that President George W Bush is looking forward to his visit to India with a view to building on an improving relationship over the years.
"...The President is looking forward to going to India. He has a good relationship with Prime Minister Singh. We want to continue to build upon what has been an improving relationship over the course of the last few years," White House Spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters on Thursday.
"Historically, there have been some issues there... In the relationship between the United States and India, but we've worked to change that and have close relations with India. And the President looks forward to continuing to build upon that and he looks forward to visiting a great country, and looks forward to meeting with Prime Minister Singh and others," he added.
He made it clear that the recent violence and riots in Pakistan over the cartoon issue is not going to make a difference in the plans of Bush visiting that country.
"...The President expressed our views yesterday...The President looks forward to going to India. He looks forward to going to Pakistan. We are making arrangements for that trip, and that will be in a few weeks," McClellan said.
Asked to comment on India's vote with the United States at the IAEA in Vienna last week, the Spokesman would only address the issue generally as it pertained to Iran.
"... I think we've made our views clear. The President spoke with Chancellor Merkel earlier today about this very issue and how we need to continue working together to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapons capability.
"He also discussed it over lunch with President Kaczynski of Poland, who was here visiting earlier today. They had a good discussion about it," the Spokesman said.
