Press Statement by Deputy Prime Minister Mr. L. K. Advani

Washington, DC
June 10, 2003

I have completed two days of consultations in Washington D.C., which I am visiting in response to an invitation from Vice-President Mr. Richard B. Cheney.  In his invitation letter, he had expected my meetings to cover the strategic nature of the India-US relationship and our agenda for bilateral cooperation in the months ahead.  In line with this suggestion and in consonance with my own expectations, my interaction with the US leadership has helped in promoting both these objectives.

In my meeting with President Bush, the President expressed his strong desire to continue the process of transforming India-US relations.  He recalled his meeting with Prime Minister at St. Petersburg.  President Bush expressed warm admiration for Prime Minister’s initiative of 18^th April and said that he deserves great credit for it.  He had gambled for peace and provided political space for resolving differences, without foregoing the concern for security.  He reiterated what he had already conveyed to Prime Minister in St. Petersburg that he would be speaking to President Musharraf about creating a climate in which this initiative could succeed.  President Bush also reaffirmed the US stake in building relations with India in a strategic context.  I referred in this context to the US National Security Strategy document unveiled in September 2002, which underlined that US interests require a strong relationship with India and that the United Stated has begun to view India as a growing world power with which it has common strategic interests.  The document goes on to say that it is through strong partnership with India that the United States can best address any differences and shape a dynamic future.

On my part, I assured President Bush, Vice-President Cheney and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice that we did not view our relations with the United States as a matter of convenience, but as a partnership of trust and confidence, which can stand up to whatever challenges the future brings.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice conveyed to me that further steps were being taken to ensure progress on all issues on the bilateral agenda including the ‘trinity’ issues (civilian space cooperation, cooperation in nuclear energy and promotion of high-technology trade) in order to provide tangible evidence of the changed relationship.  President Bush had earlier told me that he saw India as one of the leading drivers of the high-technology world and had contributed significantly to the increase in US productivity by providing Indian manpower, know-how and entrepreneurship. 

Since Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was to leave Washington D.C. on Monday morning, he came to see me on Sunday, the 8^th of June, soon after my arrival here.  We reviewed the ongoing progress in India-US defence cooperation.  The next meeting of the Defence Policy Group has been scheduled in August.  Secretary Rumsfeld raised the question of possible Indian troop contributions for the stabilization of Iraq.  I conveyed to him that this matter was under consideration of the Government of India and a decision would follow after taking all aspects into account.  We have several queries in this context and a US Department of Defence team is expected in New Delhi on 16^th June to discuss them.

In my luncheon meeting with Attorney General John Ashcroft yesterday, we focused primarily on cooperation in combating terrorism and compared notes on the problems confronting democracies in dealing with this issue.  The India-US Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism will meet before mid-July in Washington D.C.  We also decided to strengthen institutional arrangements for exchange of terrorism-related information and intelligence and to continue our fruitful cooperation under the umbrella of the bilateral Extradition Treaty and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, which is likely to be ratified by India very shortly. My meeting today with Secretary Homeland Security, Mr. Tom Ridge, also focused on security issues such as border management, airport and sea-port security and cooperation on both interdiction and consequence management technologies to combat potential threats to internal security. 

My discussions with Vice-President Cheney this morning reflected the same warmth and positive spirit that characterized all my other official interactions with senior members of the US Government.  Our discussions covered a range of issues, bilateral, regional and international.  We spoke of the many common challenges including the combat against Al-Qaeda and its extended family, wanton dissemination of weapons of mass destruction and their potential marriage with terrorism. 

I have reiterated our Prime Minister’s invitation to President Bush to visit India, possibly this year itself.  I also invited Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Mr. Ridge, Attorney General Mr. Ashcroft and the National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to visit India.