In a joint news conference yesterday in New Delhi, Rice and Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said they discussed possible sales of the F-16 to both India and Pakistan, but did not expect any agreement to be announced.
India wants to buy the US weaponry while denying it to Pakistan. The neighboring rivals have fought three wars since their 1947 independence from Britain.
Rice -- who is due to visit Pakistan next on her whirlwind tour of Asia this week that also includes stops in South Korea, Japan and China -- said F-16 sales would be a topic during talks in Islamabad as well. Pakistan bought 40 F-16s during the 1980s, but Congress put a stop to sales in 1990.
Asked about India's plan to build an oil pipeline from Iran, Rice said US objections are well-known. The US has no diplomatic relations with Iran and wants to keep international pressure on the Tehran regime to give up nuclear ambitions and institute democratic reforms.
Singh, however, indicated little willingness to cancel the deal.
"We have no problems of any kind with Iran," he said, as Rice looked on.
During their meeting, Singh said he and Rice "did express ... concerns about several matters on the defense issue," adding that "There are one or two items on which we don't agree, but our relations have now reached a maturity where we can discuss these things freely and frankly."
Asked by reporters to comment on Italy's plan to reduce its 3,000-member force in Iraq this fall, Rice said she was certain any decision by Italy would be made in consultation with the coalition and praised Italy for its participation. "The real answer to Iraqi security will be when Iraqis can do those security tasks," she said.
En route to India earlier this week, Rice said the US has built solid relationships with India and Pakistan, in part because of their cooperation in the war on terrorism, Rice told reporters en route to India. That "has helped the two states to have good relations with each other," she said.
Speaking in New Delhi on Tuesday, Rice suggested that European nations might reconsider their decision to sell weapons to China after Beijing enacted a law authorizing military force against Taiwan.
Rice also blamed North Korea for its diplomatic isolation, and said international diplomacy remains the best way to persuade the destitute country to give up nuclear ambitions.
The six-way talks included the US, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, plus the North Koreans. North Korea pulled out of the talks, announced last month that is has already built a nuclear weapon and denounced the US.
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