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Albright lectures India before Clinton trip

WASHINGTON: In a tough speech, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told India Tuesday it should curb its nuclear weapons and missile programmes and exports of technology if it wants to improve relations with the United States.

Speaking four days before President Bill Clinton's departure for South Asia, Albright said "significant progress in this area is necessary before India and the United States can realise fully the vast potential of our relationship."

Albright said Clinton was going to Pakistan because the United States had important and urgent interest there, especially in controlling the spread of dangerous weapons technology.

"I want to leave no room for doubt," she told the Asia Society. Clinton is due to leave on Saturday for the first presidential trip to South Asia since 1978 and the longest ever. He will be the first president to visit Bangladesh, his first stop.

Albright stressed United States' good relations with India. But she said India's nuclear tests in 1998 "were a historic mistake."

While India has the right to decide how to take care of its own security, Albright said, "we do regard proliferation Ñ anywhere Ñ as our number-one security concern."

And, Albright said, despite talks between senior and Indian officials, the problem has not been resolved.

"We will continue to discuss how to pursue security requirements without contributing to a costly and destabilising arms race," she said.

She said India has an effective system already to control exports of dangerous technology, but it should be strengthened.