The US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, sidestepped Indian concerns yesterday over Pakistan's alleged backing of insurgency movements in northern Kashmir.
On his arrival in New Delhi from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, he offered India long-term strategic co-operation and a commitment to ending "all terrorism", including terrorism targetting New Delhi.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against the global menace of terrorism," Mr Powell said at a joint press conference in Delhi with his Indian counterpart, Mr Jaswant Singh.
Earlier he met senior leaders including the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.
"The US and India are natural allies and the prospects of working in close partnership to strengthen strategic collaboration were never brighter," Mr Powell said, but he warned the war on terrorism would be a "long haul".
India, meanwhile, denied Islamabad's claims that it was massing troops and air force matΘriel near the border after several days of clashes in Kashmir earlier this week and Delhi called on the Pakistani government to "exercise restraint".
"This troop movement is a complete fabrication," a spokesman for India's foreign ministry said.
A defence ministry spokesman said troop movement along the Pakistani border was no more than "routine rotation" of army units before the onset of winter.
Islamabad is militarily wary of Delhi after the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, declared on Tuesday that India would be "ruthless" in dealing with Pakistan-based insurgent groups fighting in Kashmir. He also hinted that the army was considering "punitive" military strikes against them across the line of control that divides Kashmir between the two countries. Pakistan denies fuelling Kashmir's insurgency in a conflict which has claimed more than 35,000 lives.
Mr Powell's visit was aimed at defusing tension that erupted in artillery and mortar fire on Monday, complicating US efforts to garner support from Pakistan and India for its war in Afghanistan.
In an effort at appeasing India, Mr Powell downplayed his earlier remarks in Islamabad in which he claimed that Kashmir was "the central issue" between the nuclear rivals, a comment that was critically received by Delhi.
He clarified his view that Kashmir was an important issue and urged India and Pakistan, who have fought three wars over the region since independence 54 years ago, to resolve their dispute through dialogue and peaceful negotiation.
