Prime Minister Vajpayee's statement on returning from the visit to the United States

New Delhi
September 19, 2000

I return home after an extremely satisfying visit to the USA.

During my visit, I addressed the UN Millennium Summit in New York. In Washington, I had the privilege to address a joint meeting of the US Congress, discuss bilateral issues with President Clinton, and meet a large number of US Congressmen. I also met a cross-section of intellectuals, representatives of American business and industry, Indian American and policy-makers in both New York and Washington.

The outcome of these discussions is cause for satisfaction. This visit of mine has served to consolidate the momentum of Indo-US relations. The joint initiatives and the understandings reached represent a major step forward.

The substantive engagement between the world’s two largest democracies marks the beginning of a new era in bilateral and global affairs. As I have said before, this is a period of new hope and new beginnings in ties between the people of India and the people of America.

We have agreed that, as our dialogue proceeds, we will listen with respect to each other and seek to accommodate our mutual concerns. This is as it should be between two countries whose friendship in rooted in the hopes and aspirations of the present as well as the future.

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.

There is also greater appreciation of India’s matured handling of challenges posed to her internal and external security. There is recognition of India’s role as a factor of stability in Asia. We have also projected our willingness to shoulder our responsibilities as a global player.

There is increasing convergence of our perceptions of non-proliferation issues. 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.

We will continue to seek a national consensus on CTBT. In accordance with our stated position, we will not stand in the way of the Treaty’s entry into force; we also expect that all countries that are required to ratify the Treaty under Article XIV, should do so without conditions.

We have projected our position on resumption of dialogue with Pakistan. 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.

The Joint Statement issued after our bilateral talks with America reflects the beginning of the fruition of the agenda which India and the USA had set for themselves in the Vision Statement that President Clinton and I signed in March.

I am confident that the coming months will witness an upswing in Indo-US trade and economic cooperation, apart from increasing collaboration in critical socio-economic development-related areas like power, e-commerce, HIV/AIDS and agriculture.

I am equally confident that India and the USA will make full use of all opportunities to emerge as natural allies. We will be partners in international peace, progress and prosperity in the 21^st century.