Building bridges in Durban
From Hari Jaisingh

DURBAN, Nov 13 — With Pakistan having been "suspended indefinitely" from the Commonwealth Council, the Indian delegation is mainly concentrating on bilateral dialogue with some important leaders attending CHOGM.

This morning, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had "a useful meeting" with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. During the bilateral meeting on the fringes of the Commonwealth summit, both leaders decided to further bolster economic ties between the two countries.

Speaking to correspondents after the 30-minute meeting, Mr Vajpayee did not agree with the assessment that India had been ‘very strident’ in getting Pakistan suspended indefinitely from the Council of Commonwealth.

Mr Vajpayee said other member-nations of the 54-member grouping were equally in favour of action against Pakistan and that the pressure of world opinion would force the military regime in Pakistan to move towards democracy.

Expressing satisfaction on the nature of discussion on Pakistan at the meeting, the Prime Minister said it was in the interest of that country and that of the South Asian region to restore democracy in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister later left for a two-day retreat of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at George Island, off the port city of Durban.

Indian officials said the Prime Minister would continue with important bilateral discussions with his counterparts during the retreat.

Before leaving for the retreat, the Prime Minister had a one-to-one meeting with Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. Indian officials said during the meeting, the Queen expressed grief over the devastation and loss of lives caused by the Orissa cyclone.

Meanwhile, a CHOGM spokesperson told correspondents that modalities on the implementation of the CMAG report on Pakistan was being worked out and discussion on the issue would continue among the leaders during the retreat.

Among those present on the occasion of Mr Vajpayee’s meeting with Sheikh Hasina were External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra and Foreign Secretary-designate, Lalit Mansingh.

At present, India’s High Commissioner in London, Mr Mansingh is busy "familiarising" himself with India’s intricate world of diplomacy. A dynamic person, he knows his priorities. "I am here to learn and understand", he told me and promised to talk in detail after settling down in his new assignment ahead.

At Durban, India is maintaining a low profile. At the same time, it is pursuing its interests quietly, explaining its viewpoints to the CHOGM leaders who matter. In this context, Mr Jaswant Singh’s meeting with the South African Foreign Minister later in the day was quite significant.

India’s relations with South Africa today are on a firmer footing. The unpleasant episode of the 12th NAM Summit at Durban is formally buried.

It may be recalled that during the first visit of Mr Vajpayee to South Africa during the non-aligned summit, Mr Nelson Mandela, the then South African President, went out of his way to criticise India’s foreign policy. Happily, in the final declaration of the summit, there was no critical observation on India’s nuclear test. Also, South Africa’s Vice-President apologised for the faux pas by tendering an apology.

The attempt now is to rebuild the bilateral relations. The new President has the reputation of being both pragmatic and forward-looking.

It is true that South Africa is "well integrated" with the West. This has had its benefits and the present regime is unwilling to give up these advantages, and understandably so.

Notwithstanding certain problems, Indian leaders are keen to consolidate the relations with South Africa. As the economically most powerful leader of the SADC, South Africa is seen by New Delhi as "an economic bridgehead" to the region.

South Africa is also an important founder member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association. However, it "differs significantly in outlook" with India on disarmament and international security issues. South Africa is a signatory to the NPT and the CTBT.

Interestingly, South Africa’s defence exports to India have increased considerably particularly after the conclusion of the MoU on defence equipment in December 1996.

"We are aiming at solid ties with South Africa. Our objective is to build bridges with all segments of South Africa population and make a special effort to reach out to the black majority with whom cultural interaction has been so far even more limited", says the official note prepared by India’s High Commission in Pretoria and circulated to the media group accompanying the Prime Minister for CHOGM.