Rice wants even more solid ties with India

India's External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh telephoned Rice on Thursday night and told her that India was committed to further strengthening India-US relations, a ministry statement said.

"Rice said that the two countries had a great relationship and she looked forward to extending it and making it even more solid," it said.

Weeks before US President George Bush won a second term, Washington announced greater access to India in the field of advanced technologies, including nuclear know-how that must be used for non-military purposes.

Worries over missile and nuclear weapons proliferation had prompted the United States for decades to restrict exports to India of so-called "dual use" technology, which Washington believes could be diverted from civilian to military use.

Last month, US Under Secretary of Commerce Kenneth Juster visited India and discussed cooperation in high-technology trade, civilian space programs, civilian nuclear activities and missile defence.

Juster said the United States was also trying to create an appropriate economic environment for high-technology trade with India by lowering tariffs and removing non-tariff barriers that restrict such transfers.

Licensed trade of dual use technologies more than tripled to US$90 million in the year that ended in September from US$27 million two years ago, when Washington lifted economic sanctions on India.

The sanctions were imposed after India held nuclear tests in May 1998.