HOWEVER cautiously one assesses it, Prime Minister Inder Gujral's meeting with US President Bill Clinton in New York marks a significant change in the quality of Indo-US ties. Just as the scepticism which greeted Clinton's invitation for talks in New York was unjustified, any attempt to conclude that the meeting has heralded a new era of cooperation would be equally unjustified. One does not need to know the details of what was said during the meeting to realise that no basic Indian or US position has been changed.What the meeting has done is to open a channel of communication and discussion at the top level.