NEW DELHI: US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met Indian leaders on Thursday (Dec 9) but sidestepped controversy after New Delhi urged Washington not to sell F-16 fighter planes to rival Pakistan.

Rumsfeld, looking to push sales of US military equipment, met India's Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee followed by Foreign Minister Natwar Singh.

Asked if he had been able to ease Indian concerns, Rumsfeld skirted the issue.

"We had an excellent discussion about all aspects of our defence relationship I don't know that it's for me to characterize how other people react to things," he said.

"We talked about a full range of things. I don't think I would consider that to be a central part of discussion at all."

The defence secretary earlier gave a brief statement describing Indo-US defence ties as "strong" and "something that we intend to see further knitted together as we go along the months and years ahead."

Mukherjee, who was invited to the United States, said the meeting has been "very useful".

The friendly banter contrasted with a formal statement on Wednesday (Dec 8) by Foreign Minister Singh who told parliament Washington had been "cautioned" against selling F-16 fighter aircraft to Pakistan, with which India has fought three wars.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf met US President George W. Bush last Saturday (Dec 4) and said he discussed the potential purchase of the F-16 fighters.

India also repeated Wednesday (Dec 8) that it would not send any troops to help out the United States in Iraq.

"Iraq was discussed at some length," Rumsfeld told reporters. Passing reference had also been made to Iran, he said without elaborating.

A senior US defence official said Rumsfeld would seek India's help in trying to end Iran's nuclear programme.

"India has been terrifically helpful in Afghanistan with various types of humanitarian assistance and money," Rumsfeld added.

The secretary was also to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before heading back to Washington in the afternoon.

The visit is Rumsfeld's first since June 2002 and is his inaugural contact with the Congress party-led government that took power this year.

The official said India is interested in buying US P3 maritime patrol aircraft and Seahawk helicopters, and possible deals could be pursued.

"They're also interested in missile defence strategy and missile defence technology and the US would like to help them with that," said the official, adding Rumsfeld's visit was partly to recognize India's role as a "rising nation that will have an important role to play in the world."

Pakistan on Wednesday (Dec 8) test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead but insisted it was not sending a signal to India amid a nascent peace process with its regional rival.

Both Pakistan and India conduct regular missile launches.

Indian defence sources said New Delhi was interested in US Patriot missiles.

India has contributed 400 million dollars to Afghanistan's reconstruction and offered to train election officials ahead of Iraq's polls due January 30.

The defence secretary arrived late Wednesday on a lightning visit from Kuwait, where he met US troops who complained they were being sent into combat in Iraq with poor protection and ageing armour.

Courtesy Agence France Presse