Remarks by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at briefing for accompanying media

Washington, DC
July 20, 2005

My message during this visit to the US has been simple and substantial. The government and people of India are ready and willing for substantive engagement with the United States; there are enough commonalities and shared concerns which should have ensured such engagement earlier. The absence of such an ongoing engagement has been a gap that both sides should try to fill; we on our part are doing everything we can in that direction.

This is a message you have heard from me repeatedly over the last couple of days. I have focused on this in my meetings with President Bush, Vice President Cheney and members of the President’s Cabinet — Secretary Rice, Secretary Rumsfeld and Secretary Snow.

I have spoken about this in my address to the Joint Session of the US Congress yesterday, and in my meetings with senior Senators and Congressmen, whom I met in groups and individually yesterday.

In my meeting with President Bush, about which you have been briefed, I emphasized the scope for cooperation — bilateral and global — across the broadest spectrum of themes and issues. Some of these are reflected in the Joint Statement that issued after the meeting. The road map for cooperation has been set out in this Statement.

My discussions with President Bush covered the issue of cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy. We reached agreement on ways and means of how both countries would proceed in this area, which has been reflected in the Joint Statement. Both countries have agreed on reciprocal commitments, which will be addressed in a phased manner. I believe that this agreement provides a way forward for India to break out of its present isolation and expand international cooperation, enabling us to enhance the contribution of nuclear energy in meeting our future energy needs. At the same time it does not in any way, lead to a diminution of our strategic nuclear capabilities which could affect our national security interests. A carefully selected working group will determine how best to progress matters reflected in the Joint Statement.

The sizeable and influential community of people of Indian origin in the US has also helped change the way we see the US and the US sees us. They exemplify some of our best talents and areas of strength. India’s emergence as an IT leader, our desire to go beyond that to transform ourselves into a knowledge economy and our unique strengths in terms of professional skills and expertise of a high order, in virtually every sector of activity are reflected in the Indian community in the US very vividly. I admire Indian communities overseas for the manner in which they keep alive their ties with the mother country, while being good public-spirited citizens of their new chosen homes. I met the Indian community here yesterday and have asked them to support us in the endeavour to bring India and the US closer, and to participate in our efforts at home to create a better life for our people.

This brings me to another theme on which I have focused during my visit here. We are doing everything we can at home to accelerate our pace of economic growth so that we can lift our citizens who are mired in poverty out of this condition and ensure for them a decent livelihood. In this endeavour, foreign capital has a critical role to play. I have sought to sensitise the US of the many opportunities that India offers as an investment destination. The infusion of technology and capital from the US would help generate a higher rate of growth.

It is reflective of the diversity and expanse of India-US relations that several important things have happened on the margins of my visit. An India-US CEOs Forum has been set up which brings together the leaders of Indian industry with their US counterparts. They have met briefly and will do so again. We hope they will generate fresh ideas that we as a government can implement to enhance economic and commercial interaction between our countries. We recognize this effort has to be driven by the private sector and we hope the CEOs Forum will give this the impetus required.

I still have engagements ahead of me today. I shall be going to the National Press Club shortly. I did want to meet you before that. I shall be happy to take your questions now.

Thank you.