PRESS AVAILABILITY WITH SECRETARY OF
STATE COLIN POWELL AND INDIAN MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS LAL KRISHNA ADVANI
FOLLOWING THEIR MEETING
OUTSIDE
THE STATE DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.
3:31 P.M. EST WEDNESDAY, JANUARY, 9, 2001
SEC. POWELL: Well, good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It's been my
great pleasure to receive and welcome Home Minister Advani. We've had a good
exchange of views. We began by concentrating on what we both agree is the
strength of the relationship between the United States and India, and how
both sides are committed to strengthening the relationship even more in the
months ahead. President Bush is committed to expanding the depth of our
exchanges with respect to economic activity, military cooperation -- all of the
areas of interest that two great democracies would have in common with one
another.
We, of course, talked about the
campaign against terrorism. And I committed to the home minister, as the
president has committed to the prime minister and I have to the foreign minister
on many occasions, that this is a campaign against all forms of terrorism, it's
a campaign to which the United States and the president are committed with
patience and persistence. And we will work with all of our friends to remove
this scourge from the face of the earth and as a threat to civilization.
We reviewed the situation of Afghanistan and
the progress we have made; how terrorism is being defeated there and how a new
government is being brought into being to provide hope to the people of
Afghanistan. And we committed ourself to reconstruction efforts.
We also talked about the situation that exists
between India and Pakistan. And I indicated to the home minister that the
United States was very hopeful that this situation could be dealt with through
political and diplomatic means, and we were lending all of our efforts to that
end. But it has to include a condemnation of terrorism of any kind, because it
is no longer acceptable in the 21st century for nations to live under this kind
of threat.
And so I was pleased to receive the
minister, and I now invite him to say a word or two, and then we can take one or
two questions before he has to make his next appointment.
Mr. Minister?
MIN. ADVANI: Thank you, Mr. Powell.
Friends, I'm extremely grateful to the United States government, personally to
Mr. Ashcroft, attorney general, for having invited me to visit the United
States.
My responsibility in the Indian
government is to look after internal security, and so the issue dominant on my
mind has been naturally the threat of terrorism. But as the secretary of State
just now said, the year 2000, 2001, and 2002 now have been years where
cooperation between these two great democracies of the world has been constantly
expanding. And it would be -- (inaudible) -- to see that during my five days in
Washington and New York, it's not nearly the immediate issue of international
terrorism that I speak about, but also to see that this broadening base of
cooperation between the United States and India continues to widen
further.
On the question of terrorism, I would
like to compliment the United States, its president, Mr. Powell, and all other
leaders of government who have taken a kind of a lead in mobilizing world
opinion against terrorism. And my discussions today with Mr. Ashcroft, Mr.
Powell, Mr. Richard Haass, have been extremely useful, extremely fruitful, and
gives me confidence that we together would be able to stamp out terrorism from
all parts of the world.
Thank you, friends.
Q Mr. Secretary? Could you elaborate --
Q Mr. Secretary? Mr. Secretary?
SEC. POWELL: Beg your pardon?
Q Could you elaborate on the purpose of
your trip to India and Pakistan? What do you have -- (off mike)?
SEC. POWELL: I am going to the region to
participate in the reconstruction conference on Afghanistan in Tokyo on the 21st
of January.
And since I was in the region, I
decided that I would visit India and Pakistan and perhaps other places in
the region, to consult with my colleagues in those two countries and to see if I
can make a further contribution, by my presence, toward resolving the situation
that currently exists, the crisis that currently exists, in a peaceful manner.
Q Mr. Secretary, I understand Mr.
Minister is carrying a list of 20 terrorists that India is wanting from
Pakistan, or they are based in Pakistan. And what do you have to say about those
terrorists, whether you are going to ask General Musharraf to hand over those
terrorists based in Pakistan to India; and also, finally, sir, if both of
you are satisfied from what Mr. Minister wanted or India wanted from the
United States, the way U.S. condemned terrorism in Israel? Because there is a
revolving door -- like you said, there is a revolving door in Palestine; there
is also a revolving door in Pakistan, sir.
SEC. POWELL: With respect to the list of 20, I have seen that list, and I
know that President Musharraf has the list. We have discussed the list with him.
I know he is examining it. And I hope he will take appropriate action on the
list, but that is in his hands.
Yes, we have
discussed it, and I know that the home minister also discussed it with Attorney
General Ashcroft earlier.
I will let the
minister comment on the second half of your question, with respect to
expectations from the United States.
MIN.
ADVANI: Frankly, I have nothing more to add to what I have already said,
because at this point I regard cooperation between our two countries to stamp
out international terrorism as very important.
You also mentioned that I have invited the attorney general, Mr. Ashcroft, to
visit India, and he has kindly accepted the invitation.
SEC. POWELL: Thank you very much.
Q Secretary Powell, one more question.
Q Secretary Powell --
(Cross talk.)
(The secretary accompanies the minister to his car and then returns.)
Q Mr. Secretary, you --
SEC. POWELL: (Off mike.)
Q Thank you. Thank you. The United
States has consistently said that it does see President Musharraf taking
credible steps against terrorism, but the Indians have not exactly seen
it that way and say that they have yet to see credible steps. Do you see -- was
there a large gap between the two sides in your meetings today with the
Indians? Are they giving Musharraf any credit at all?
SEC. POWELL: I think President Musharraf
has taken some steps. He has arrested the leaders of the JEM and the LET. He has
closed down offices. He has spoken out against terrorism. He has also arrested
other individuals. But I think there is room for additional work on his part.
We're looking forward to the speech he will be giving later this week, which I
think will be a powerful signal to his nation and to India and the rest
of the world.
But it's not just the speech; we
will be looking to see what additional action he has taken. I believe he has
taken quite a bit of action in recent months. But as you well know, the
Indians believe more action is required. And we will see what happens in
the days and weeks ahead.
But I think it is in
the interests of all of us to continue to do everything we can in our power to
solve this in political and diplomatic channels and not let it go to conflict.
The problem will not be solved by a conflict in South Asia.
Thank you.
Q Mr. Secretary, on your --
Q Mr.
Secretary, obviously the situation is on a hair trigger. What message are you
giving both sides to try to prevent this from escalating any further into a
potential nuclear war?
SEC. POWELL: I
think both sides understand that it is a dangerous situation, whenever you have
two armies in proximity to one other and both are mobilized. But both sides
understand the seriousness of this confrontation and they are working with us to
try to find a peaceful solution through political and diplomatic channels and to
avoid war.
Thank you.
Q Mr. Secretary, when you talked to
Arafat, did you talk about the attack on the Israelis?
SEC. POWELL: Yes.
Q You did? Thank you.