The United States on Thursday made it clear that its defence cooperation with India was not a threat to New Delhi's sovereignty, but an indication of how two equal partners looked towards the future.
"'It is not a threat to India's sovereignty. It is, instead, an indication of how two equal partners look towards their future and agree what the future should be," U S Ambassador in India David C Mulford told members of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and the Indo-U S Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata.
Pointing out that the two countries were strengthening an increasingly dynamic strategic relationship, he said that cooperation in political issues -- from promotion of democracy abroad to global peacekeeping operations, to combating terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction threats -- was the core of the relationship.
A new defence framework was signed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and U S Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld on June 28, he said.
"This agreement will guide our defence relations for the next decade in a variety of areas, including enlargement of defence trade, improved cooperation between our armed forces and greater technology transfer."
He said the 'successful' cooperation between the military of the two countries during the tsunami was a remarkable testament 'to how far we have come and the great potential we have for the future'.
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