WASHINGTON, July 31: The India-US cooperation on civilian nuclear energy while allowing New Delhi to retain its nuclear arms programme, shows a historic shift in US policy towards India, says a report published on Saturday in the Christian Science Monitor.

News analyst Daniel Schorr observes: “We are witnessing a historic change in attitudes toward India and Pakistan and the administration seems ready to show the kind of favouritism to India that it had once showed to Pakistan.

According to the report, the pro-Indian tilt in US policies towards South Asia became obvious when the visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached an agreement with President George W. Bush that would permit India to get international help with its peaceful nuclear programme while retaining its nuclear arms programme.

“Because of our shared values, the relationship between our two countries has never been stronger,” President Bush said.

These remarks reflect the Bush administration’s concerns about the activities of Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who has been helping the nuclear programmes of North Korea and other countries.