India chose Tuesday not to comment on the WikiLeaks revelations even as the US sought to cushion the impact of the expose on its ties with India.
The external affairs ministry spokesman said the WikiLeaks cables “purportedly are an account of privileged internal US government assessments and correspondence” and therefore India would prefer not to comment. He added: “We have a multi-faceted and forward-looking strategic partnership with the US and there is a regular, open and candid dialogue between the two countries on a number of matters of mutual interest.”
The US reached out to India following WikiLeaks’ embarrassing disclosures. Its ambassador here, Mr Timothy Roemer, said the US welcomes a greater global leadership role for India. “During President Obama’s recent visit to India, he reiterated that the relationship between the US and India, bound by our shared interests and our shared values, will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century,” Mr Roemer said.