'US intends to give India access to Headley'

Washington Apr 16: In a minor relief to India, US Consul General at Mumbai, Paul Folmsbee said that US was planning to give Indian investigators access to David Coleman Headley.

"The intention is that. The statement by President Barack Obama saying that they are looking at ways to make it happen clearly states our intentions," Folmsbee said in a news agency report in response to whether India would get access to Headley.

Folmsbee said the sharing of ground intelligence between India and US was commendable.

"Five or ten years ago one would have not imagined both the countries doing that. This is a great development," he said.

Asked to comment on India's concern on US military aid to Pakistan, Folmsbee said that military aid was necessary to restore stability in Pakistan.

"There is great instability in Pakistan. The U.S. sees the need to help and support Pakistan to stabilise it," said the US official, who has earlier worked in Pakistan as country director for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement programmes.

He said that US links with Pakistan will not be at India's expense.

"That relationship is not linked to India which is also our partner. I do not think that is a significant issue personally. I think as we move into future we should think about bigger world, bigger India and stable Pakistan," he said.

Commenting on the Indo-Pak relation, Folmsbee said that the both the countries should look for a 'new and greater partnerships'

On India's relationship with Iran, he said that US respects New Delhi"s own relationship with Tehran, adding that though both India and the US have different views on Iran, it would not affect their bilateral ties.

"India as a sovereign country has to pursue policies which are in its national interest and so we have to respect India"s point of view and understand that it has its own relationship with Iran", he said.

"US and India agree on many things and disagree on certain other things. I think Iran is one of those examples where we have different perspectives and we each respect the other country"s views," Folmsbee said.

He said that India and US have strengthened their relationship in the last few years which has eventually turned into strategic partnerships.

"The greatest thing that I can see in the relationship between the two countries is people to people contacts which are strengthening the relationship in a great way," the Consul General said.

OneIndia News