NEW DELHI: U.S. President George W. Bush has said Thursday's blasts in Karachi, in which an American diplomat and three Pakistanis were killed, will not deter him from going to Pakistan.

Speaking at a joint press interaction with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Hyderabad House here, the U.S. President said, "Terrorists and killers will not prevent me from going to Pakistan."

Describing his visit to Pakistan as an important trip, Mr. Bush said it was important for him to talk to President Pervez Musharraf.

Pointing out that terrorists had tried to kill Gen. Musharraf on several occasions, he said you could not "negotiate" or "reason" with terrorists.

Intelligence sharing

Stressing the need to share intelligence to fight terrorism, Mr. Bush, in his opening remarks, said India and Pakistan had a historic opportunity to work towards lasting peace. He hoped that they would continue to make progress in addressing all issues, including Kashmir.

Referring to the broad sweep of agreements reached between India and the U.S., he said the two sides were committed to promoting democracy worldwide.

"We are leaders in the U.N. Democracy Fund," he said.

On Myanmar, or Burma as he called it, the U.S. President said India and the U.S. agreed that human rights in that country were in a deplorable state. His remarks come days before President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's visit to Yangon.

On Nepal too, Mr. Bush took a nuanced position that varies with the Indian view. "In Nepal, we agree that the Maoists should abandon violence and the King [Gyanendra] should reach out to political parties to restore democratic institutions."

Pointing out that India and the U.S. had agreed to set up a trade policy forum, the U.S. President said the two nations were committed to making sure that the Doha round of trade negotiations ended on a positive note.

Asked why the U.S. did not support a permanent seat for India in the United Nations Security Council, Mr. Bush said Washington wanted overall reforms of the U.N. to move forward. According to him, the one issue of Council expansion should not hold up the larger issue of reforms.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described his talks with Mr. Bush as "very cordial" and productive. "We reviewed the status of our cooperation, including the agenda we set on July 18, 2005." "Many of the areas our cooperation now covers are central to India's national development. They include energy, agriculture, science and technology, trade and investment, high technology, health and a clean environment. This is an ambitious agenda, one that is befitting our growing strategic partnership. When implemented, they will make a real difference to the lives of our people," he said.

According to Dr. Singh, the global situation came up for review in talks with Mr. Bush. "As you are all aware, India and the United States are working together increasingly on global issues. This is good not just for our two countries but also benefits the international community as we can complement each other's capabilities and share responsibilities.

"President Bush is admired for his strong position on terrorism and I was particularly pleased that we agreed on the need to root out terrorism, of which India has been a major victim," the Prime Minister added.

A joint statement said the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the "great progress" India and the U.S. had made in advancing their "strategic partnership" to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.

"Both our countries are linked by a deep commitment to freedom and democracy; a celebration of national diversity, human creativity and innovation; a quest to expand prosperity and economic opportunity worldwide; and a desire to increase mutual security against the common threats posed by intolerance, terrorism, and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The successful transformation of the U.S.-India relationship will have a decisive and positive influence on the future international system as it evolves in this new century," it added.

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