India's Vajpayee says U.S. visit cements relations

Vajpayee: "We have ... projected our willingness to shoulder our responsibilities as a global player"

September 20, 2000
Web posted at: 6:51 AM HKT (2251 GMT)

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -- Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said on Tuesday his recent visit to the United States had consolidated relations between the world's two largest democracies and marked a new era in bilateral and global affairs.

"This visit of mine has served to consolidate the momentum of Indo-U.S. relations. The joint initiatives and understandings reached represent a major step forward," Vajpayee said in a statement after returning to India on Tuesday night.

He said there was greater understanding between the two countries on issues relating to international terrorism and India's security perspectives.

"We have agreed that, as our dialogue proceeds, we will listen with respect to each other and seek to accommodate our mutual concerns.

"Today, we can say that there is better understanding between the two countries on issues of mutual concern. Specifically, there is better understanding of the threat posed by international terrorism and India's security perspectives."

Vajpayee perceived greater appreciation of India's handling of challenges to its internal and external security and a recognition of its role as a factor of stability in Asia.

"We have also projected our willingness to shoulder our responsibilities as a global player."

He said there was an increasing understanding of India's stand on nuclear non-proliferation.

"While we remain committed to our unilateral moratorium on explosive tests, we will not allow this to stand in the way of our protecting India's supreme national interests," he said.

India is following a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear tests since carrying out a series of explosions in 1998, which triggered worldwide outrage and condemnation. The blasts provoked neighbor Pakistan to carry out tit-for-tat tests and invited economic sanctions against both nations.

India and the United States had agreed to carry on with discussions on important issues, Vajpayee said.

"We will continue to seek a national consensus on CTBT (comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty). In accordance with our stated position, we will not stand in the way of the treaty coming into force," he said.

The prime minister reiterated that India would resume its interrupted dialogue with neighbour and bitter foe Pakistan only when, he said, the latter stopped supporting cross-border terrorism.

"Meaningful dialogue will be possible only when the right atmosphere is created by Pakistan's cessation of abetting cross-border terrorism and hostile propaganda against India."

India accuses Pakistan of stoking the decade-old rebellion in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir by arming and training militants. Islamabad denies the charge and says it only offers moral and diplomatic support to what it calls Kashmiri freedom fighters.

Vajpayee returned to India after a nearly weeklong visit to the United States in which he gave a speech at the United Nations Millennium Summit in New York. He also addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress besides holding discussions with President Bill Clinton and several members of Congress.

During the visit, Indian and U.S. firms signed agreements to build three large power projects involving a total investment of seven billion dollars of which nearly four billion will be in the form of foreign investment.

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