US sees global role for India after WikiLeaks

Nov 30, 2010, 14:35 GMT

New Delhi - The United States said Tuesday that it welcomes a greater global leadership role for India, days after the whistleblower website WikiLeaks released a cable from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that described India as a 'self-appointed frontrunner' for a new permanent UN Security Council seat.

'The United States welcomes a greater global leadership role for India and values its perspectives on how to meet common challenges, including countering terrorism,' US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer said.

'We regret and condemn any unauthorized disclosures of confidential information and sensitive national security information,' Roemer said.

Roemer said the US government was committed to maintaining the security of diplomatic communications and was moving aggressively to hold accountable those responsible for the leaks.

The cable mentioning India requested US diplomats collect information regarding the bids for Security Council seats among 'self-appointed frontrunners' India, Brazil, Germany and Japan as the world community considers reforms to expand the membership of the council, the UN's top decision-making body.

The cable was leaked the same month that US President Barack Obama visited India and expressed support for India's ambition for a permanent seat on the council and outlined a global economic and strategic partnership with the South Asian country he described as a 'world power.'

Roemer said Obama's recent visit was his longest to any foreign country as president and underscored the US commitment to a strategic partnership with India.

In a measured response to the leaks, India's External Affairs Ministry put out a statement saying, 'We would prefer not to comment on the issue of WikiLeaks which purportedly are an account of privileged internal US government assessments and correspondence.'

The statement from the official spokesman's office said the US and India had a multifaceted and forward-looking strategic partnership and there was regular, open, candid dialogue between the two countries.

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