Rice looks forward to work with Pranab Mukherjee

Washington, Nov 8: The Bush administration considers India as a "very important" partner for the United States and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is looking forward to work very closely with its new External affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on a number of issues of mutual concerns.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, who made this statement at his daily briefing here yesterday, said, ''We are in the course of changing that relationship and deepening and broadening our ties. So I am sure she is going to work very closely with him (Mukherjee) whom she had met at the United Nations during its last General Assembly session.'' ''Mukherjee is a very accomplished individual. He brings with him a lot of experience to the job as Foreign Minister operating on a world stage,'' added McCormack.

UNI