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Rediff.com  » News » Terms of US offer not clear: PM

Terms of US offer not clear: PM

By Onkar Singh in New Delhi
March 28, 2005 21:49 IST
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Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday said the US government has stipulated terms and conditions for the sale of F-16s to India.

However, the conditions are not clear, he said while speaking to newspersons at the Rashtrapati Bhavan after the Padma awards ceremony.
 
The US government had on March 26 announced it will sell F-16s to Pakistan. It had also decided to offer F-16 and F-18 fighters planes to India and cooperate with it in the area of civilian nuclear energy.

"We don't know what are we going to get," Dr Singh said, adding it is 'premature' to comment on the US offer to sell F-16 warplanes to India. The issue will be discussed with Washington, the PM said.

According to sources, the US government has offered India technical assistance to manufacture F-18s.

Talking about his telephonic conversation with US President George Bush, Dr Singh said he expressed disappointment at the US' decision to sell F-16s to Pakistan.

When asked if the US' decision to deny visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will affect Indo-US relations, Dr Singh said he has nothing more to add to whatever he has said in Parliament.

The PM said he was looking forward to Pakistan Pervez Musharraf's visit to New Delhi next month.

Musharraf will be in New Delhi on April 16 to watch the last one-day international cricket match of the ongoing Indo-Pak series, to be played at the Delhi and District Cricket Association ground on April 17.

With PTI inputs

 

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Onkar Singh in New Delhi