WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (APP): U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Robert Blake on Wednesday said Washington will maintain close relations with both Pakistan and India, assuring Islamabad that it should not feel  threatened by the steps Washington is taking to advance U.S.-India relations.“We value our partnership with Pakistan and with India,” Blake said at a briefing days ahead of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s state visit to Washington aimed at expanding the U.S.-India relations in wide-ranging areas.

“I don’t think Islamabad should be threatened by the steps we are taking with India,” he responded when asked specifically how Pakistan should view the Indian leader’s  visit between November 22 to 26, during which he will hold talks with President Barack Obama on strengtheing ties in economic, defense and a host of other areas.

Blake remarked that in the beginning of the Obama administration it was said that the U.S. was focusing on Pakistan and Afghanistan to the exclusion of India but now it is forging ties with New Delhi as well.

“There was a good reason for that in part because Pakistan and Afghanistan are extremely important and also because the Indian government had not yet had its elections.”

In terms of US defense deals with India - said to be around $ 10 billion - he stated, these are being worked out and are longer-term sales that are in the planning stages.

The Assistant Secretary praised Pakistan’s ongoing anti-militant campaign in South Waziristan and elsewhere in the western parts.

“I think the steps that Pakistan has taken in Swat and South Waziristan show that they are taking the extremist threat within Pakistan very seriously.”

In answer to a question, he said “Pakistan has made some progress” in regard with investigation into November 2008 attacks on Mumbai and expected more cooperation from Islamabad in prosecuting militants behind accused of being behind these attacks.

Blake also recognized China’s role in enforcing security and stability in the region both in Pakistan-India and Pakistan-Afghanistan contexts, saying the U.S. will like to get Beijing’s views on imrpoving security situation in the region.    

“China has a very important role to play ---- like many

other countries we are consulting them - it is important to get views of China on this very very important question. We value their advice. China have also  important stakes in stability of Afghanistan. So it is only natural we will consult them,” he said,a day after U.S. and China resolved in their joint statement to help imrprove relations between Pakistan and India.

“Both, we want to get their (Chinese) views on both of them,” he replied, when asked to clarify if the U.S. wanted to have Chinese role in promoting peace and stability in Pakistan-Afghanistan region or on  Pakistan-India front.

Blake said U.S. sees an important role for India at the global level and will work to expand cooperation in the fields of economic development, nuclear non-proliferation, climate change and trade issues, investment,  education, science and technolgoy and anti-terrorism.