The Hindu : National : Bush visit may tone up alliance: military official

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 22, 2006

National

National

Bush visit may tone up alliance: military official

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: U.S. President George Bush's visit to India could turn into "an opportunity for a symbolic comment to strengthen the alliance between the two countries," according to a high-ranking military official.

Gen. Paul V. Hester, Commander, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, said here on Monday that the American military community was "excited to hear what kind of strategic comments come out" of the visit. He was responding to a question at the Asia Pacific Security Conference, organised by Asian Aerospace 2006 and the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies.

Later, talking to The Hindu , Gen. Hester said he did not think there was a specific outcome to look for during Mr. Bush's visit. "Typically, there is not a military aspect to the U.S. President's summit talks with world leaders."

"It is for our President to find areas of common ground in a growing relationship that we see between the two democracies, for India had previously spent an amount of time, focussing its attention north, on the former Soviet Union."

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