Washington, Jan. 20: External affairs minister Yashwant Sinha today briefed US President George W. Bush on the pace of progress in India’s peace initiative with Pakistan and discussed the next steps in their bilateral strategic partnership, which was concretised last week.

“The President congratulated the foreign minister on the important progress being made on the relationship between Pakistan and India,” White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters after Sinha’s meeting with Bush. “They also discussed the next steps on the strategic partnership between India and the US,” he said.

McClellan was asked if Bush raised the $1.5-billion contract signed by India today to buy a Russian aircraft carrier, but he declined comment and merely said the President’s meeting with Sinha lasted 15 minutes.

Sinha is here on what is probably the last major meeting between the two countries before India and the US both go into election mode. The minister is today meeting secretary of state Colin Powell and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.

He will also have meetings with members of the Senate foreign relations committee and leaders of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.