US sure of 'exceedingly good' ties with India under Obama

Noting that India US relations have been exceedingly good during president George W. Bush's administration, White House sees no reason to expect that it won't continue when Barack Obama takes over Jan 20.

"I think that India and US relations have been exceedingly good during our administration, and I have no reason to expect that it won't continue when Barack Obama becomes president next Tuesday," spokesperson Dana Perino said on Wednesday.

Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice too touted India-US relations among Bush administration's major foreign policy successes in interviews with the Washington Post Editorial Board and Bloomberg TV, transcripts of which were released by the State Department on Wednesday.

Asked to comment on incoming administration's plans to restore "America's moral standing" and diplomacy, Rice told the Post: "I think if you look at some of the big relationships around the world, US-China relations have never been better. And it's come not at the expense of other relationships."

"We developed a fundamentally different and deepened relationship with India. You're not supposed to be able to do India and China at the same time. We've done that."

"There is no single country in Northeast Asia, or for that matter you can look at Southeast Asia, places like Vietnam, where the relationships have been fundamentally strong," she said.

Asked by Bloomberg TV what Bush wanted to do when he came to office eight years ago, Rice said: "Talking with this president about what he wanted to do: he was always interested in the policy towards India, for instance."

"And we've achieved a new breakthrough, a new heights in US-Indian relations."

"But I don't think he ever expected to be the President who would, first, have to experience the worst attack on American soil in our history, and then have to deal with the consequences of that," she said referring of Sep 11, 2001 terror attacks on the US.

Asked if she was confident if president-elect Barack Obama's administration will be able to keep US feeling as safe, Rice said: "These are responsible and sound people, all of them. I know them all, including the president-elect" who was on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that oversees the State Department.

"And so, yes, I have confidence in them. It will be different. Because for those of us who experienced those horrors, it is - it's a personal experience, and maybe it will be different.

"But if you love this country and you know your responsibilities, then you' ll do everything that you can to protect it and defend it. And I have confidence in those who are coming after us," she said.