WASHINGTON, July 15 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday though relations with India were good, defense relations still needed work.
"We still have a lot to work on because the defense cooperation relationship ... is relatively new," she told India's private NDTV in an interview. "But we are making a lot of progress."
The comments come ahead of a visit to Washington by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Relations are at their best in decades and the United States is vying to supply India with high-performance aircraft.
Rice lauded India's role in the war on terrorism, calling it a "good partner" that has "suffered terrorism itself," and added the two sides had "excellent cooperation" on intelligence and law enforcement.
Rice reiterated the U.S. position that it backed "one or two" permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, a body India wants membership into, but added: "We don't believe that a veto is necessary for those."
"But I have said and the president will reiterate that India's role in international politics, which is growing and growing in a more positive way, will have to be accommodated in the international institutions. And that, of course, includes the U.N."
She also lauded India's improved relations with Pakistan.
