Singh initially expressed "disappointment" in a telephone call with President George W. Bush on the offer because it included a decision by the United States to resume the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

However, speaking to reporters Wednesday on his way to the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, Singh changed his tone to one of cautious welcome.

"India welcomes the development," Singh told reporters covering his state visit. "The fact is that the US has expressed its willingness to engage in matters related to increased cooperation in matters related to nuclear as well as non-nuclear issues."

The United States cut all civilian nuclear sales and cooperation to India after the country tested a weapon in the desert state of Rajasthan in 1974.

As well, India has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty which bars the United States and other countries from selling civilian nuclear reactors to countries that test or acquire nuclear weapons outside of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Despite the restrictions, the United States is committed to finding ways to resume such sales to India to make the country a world power, the US Ambassador to India David Mulford said in an editorial in the Times of India Thursday commenting on last week's visit to the country by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

"It is now official," Mulford said in the article. "It is the policy of the United States to help India become a major world power in the 21st century."

The Indian Express newspaper noted that since initially expressing his dismay over the US resuming jet fighter sales to Pakistan at a time when the two countries are engaged in delicate peace talks, Singh has now said that India wants to encourage a broader relationship.

"It is a fact they (US) want the strategic relationship to grow in depth," Singh told reporters. "We have to find out what they want exactly, what they have in mind."

India has had an uneasy relationship with the United States since independence in 1947 as it sought a neutral foreign policy and bought arms from the Soviet Union while Washington supplied Pakistan.

The US also placed sanctions on India after a second round of nuclear tests in May 1998, but agreed after the September 11, 2001, attacks to waive those and other sanctions in return for India's support in the war on terrorism.

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