BUSH BEGINS MOVES TO SOLIDIFY US-INDIA RELATIONS

I blogged on 4/10/05 that INDIA was the perfect wedge for the USA to use against China's increasingly hegemonic behavior.

Today, Bush met with India's FM and his DOT secretary - Minetta - signed a landmark deal opening up India to USA airlines.

From THE HINDU:

(1) WASHINGTON: The External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, met the U.S. President, George W. Bush, on Thursday. Mr. Bush said he was "extremely excited" about the state of India-U.S. relations. — PTI

(2) India and the United States today signed a landmark agreement, permitting any number of airlines to operate any number of flights to any point in each other's territory. The historic agreement was signed by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, and the visiting U.S. Transportation Secretary, Norman Y. Mineta, here. "If prior experience is any indicator, this bilateral `Open Skies' agreement between India and the U.S. will stimulate new passenger and cargo services, new partnerships, innovation, and lower prices to the benefit of our economies, our businesses and our citizens," Mr. Mineta said.

These moves were OF COURSE NOT a result of my post - but it proves the logic of my points and it proves that the Bush Administration have their collective eyes on the ball. BRAVO!

I predict that Rice and Bush will visit India in the next few months - and begin an aggressive Pro-India effort which will include getting them on the UNSC.

UPDATE:

More here from the BUSINESS STANDARD:

Signalling a new warmth in bilateral ties, President George W Bush today said the US held India as a “global power” and wanted to work together for mutual economic benefit and cooperate in the civilian nuclear and other energy sectors. During the 30-minute meeting with External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh at the Oval office, Bush said the US regarded India as a global power with which the Washington wanted to work very closely for the common good, for world peace and for mutual economic benefit.

Bush told Singh that India and the US needed to work together in the energy sector that would include co-operation in civilian nuclear energy. Terming the Indo-US relations as the “best we have had for a very long time”, Singh said India was interested in having a “much closer relationship” during Bush’s second term in office.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said Bush told Singh that he was looking forward to his trip to India, hopefully within this year. The US President said he “very much looks forward” to receiving Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Washington in the near future. Bush said he was “extremely excited” and “pleased” with the state of Indo-US relations. Saran described the meeting extremely warm, friendly and very productive. Terming India as a “flourishing democracy”, the President said he was going to use the next four years of his second term to further strengthen these relations to take them to a “much higher level.”

BRAVO!