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'Washington trying to remove India from Russian sphere'

Washington is trying to remove India from Moscow's sphere of influence, the pro-government daily Segodnya commented today on US President Bill Clinton's current visit to India.

In what is seen as the first reaction from Moscow on Clinton's talks in New Delhi, the daily's news analyst Valeria Sychaeva wrote: ''Moscow could feel uncomfortable over a possible US-India partnership at a time when the longstanding Russia-India relations are overshadowed by India's six billion dollar debt to Moscow.''

In spite of a multitude of plans of cooperation being implemented under Indo-Russo friendship treaty framework, America's new strategy could affect the partnership, he added.

The daily gave fairly extensive coverage to Clinton's talks in New Delhi.

One of the main tasks of Clinton in India was to pave the way for a large-scale bilateral economic cooperation, though he failed in his efforts to ''talk India into signing the CTBT,'' the correspondent noted.

Clinton also failed to influence India's stand on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. At the same time, the US, apparently striving for rapprochement with India, could ''complicate its relations with traditional ally Pakistan.''

Analysing the complicity of the situation, the correspondent noted that Clinton may fail to attain one of the main goals of his visit, bring about a reconcilement between India and Pakistan.

The daily underlined that Russia had invariably supported India on the Kashmir issue and, in turn, the latter supports Russia's Chechen policy.

The report also hinted that the Russian president would visit India after the March 26 presidential elections in Moscow and sign a declaration on strategic partnership.

UNI

CLINTON VISITS INDIA:The complete coverage

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