NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Jan 25: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday night gave an upbeat assessment of his meeting with US President Bush noting that Mr Bush had described America’s relations with Pakistan as ‘strategic and vital’. In a brief telephone interview before leaving Washington, Mr Aziz did not say whether there was any forward movement on a deal on nuclear cooperation similar to the one given to India last year, but added: “The talks will continue in March when Mr Bush visits Pakistan.”

On the issue of Bajaur and better coordination between US and Pakistan in pursuing the war on terror, Mr Aziz said: “We got assurances of better communication.”

The prime minister said that President Bush promised to provide night vision equipment and supplies needed by the Pakistan army to pursue terrorists.

Mr Aziz said President Bush agreed that better communication between the allies was necessary, though they didn’t discuss specifics. “We have conveyed our concerns and apprehensions, and we agreed that there is a need to coordinate and communicate better,” he added.

He said representatives of the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan would discuss the Jan 13 missile attack on a Bajaur village at a meeting in the next few days. “That’s the appropriate forum to discuss those issues,” he said.

Mr Aziz, who attended a dinner hosted by Senator John Kerry before he left for Islamabad, said that about a dozen US lawmakers who attended the dinner were full of praise for Pakistan’s efforts to wipe out terrorism from its territory. Most US lawmakers assured Mr Aziz of all possible help to Pakistan in its efforts.

Chairmen of two powerful Senate committees, Senators John Warner, Richard Lugar also attended the dinner.

Mr Aziz said that in his talks with President Bush and other US leaders they also discussed the current US-Iran dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme. The prime minister said that he told the US leaders that Pakistan was against nuclear proliferation and believed in peaceful use of nuclear technology.

Mr Aziz had earlier said that Pakistan wanted the Iranian nuclear dispute to be resolved peacefully and was against the use of force.

He pointed out that the fact that he had met almost key US leaders in his three-day stay in the US capital showed how Washington valued its friendship with Pakistan.

The prime minister also met Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Treasury Secretary John Snow, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and other key officials.