WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) -- The United States assured India Monday it wants to maintain close ties with the world's largest democracy despite a change of government in New Delhi.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned the new Indian foreign minister, Natwar Singh, to convey this assurance, the State Department said.
A new government was sworn-in in India Saturday, replacing former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who played a key role in fostering close relations with the United States.
Vajpayee also had initiated peace talks with neighboring Pakistan on the encouragement of the Bush administration.
New Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured the United States he intends to follow the policies of the outgoing government and wants close relations with Washington.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a briefing in Washington that in his conversation with the new Indian foreign minister, Powell expressed the desire "to pursuing developments in our relationship as well as continuing our cooperation more broadly."
