M A I N   N E W S

PM’s historic visit from Nov 4
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 2
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is all set to create a record of sorts when he undertakes a 10-day tour of Russia, the USA and United Kingdom from November 4 as no Indian premier before him as ever visited these three major powers in one single tour.

During his three-leg foreign tour, Mr Vajpayee will be focussing on Pakistan’s unabated cross-border terrorism and impress upon the three major world powers to exert pressure on Islamabad to give up terrorism which in a way has become an instrument of its foreign policy.

Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer gave details of the Prime Minister’s foreign tour, a highlight of which would be signing of the Moscow declaration on international terrorism by Mr Vajpayee and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Prime Minister will be on a state visit to the Russian Federation from November 4 to 7 at the invitation of Mr Putin. During President Putin’s historic state visit to India in October last year, a declaration on strategic partnership between India and Russian Federation was signed. It was then agreed to hold annual summit meetings to carry forward the bilateral political dialogue. The return visit of the Prime Minister is in line with this understanding, Ms Chokila Iyer said.

Prime Minister’s Russia visit will begin from St Petersburg, where he will meet Governor of St Petersburg Regional Administration, Mr Vladimir Yakovlev. In Moscow, the Prime Minister will have a tete-a-tete with President Putin to be followed by delegation level talks. He will have separate meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mr Igor Ivanov, Defence Minister Mr Sergei Ivanov and Chairman of the State Duma, Gennady Seleznyev.

The Indian Foreign Secretary pointed out that relations between India and the Russian Federation are marked by continuity, trust and mutual understanding and cut across party lines in both countries. The Indo-Russian bilateral cooperation is multifaceted and encompasses political consultations, trade and economic interactions in important sectors like, power, steel, oil, coal and information technology, science and technology, culture, space, atomic energy and defence. More than 80 bilateral documents have so far been signed between India and the Russian Federation.

Mr Vajpayee’s discussions with the Russian leadership will cover the entire range of our bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual concern. Several bilateral documents will be signed during this visit covering diverse sectors. That would strengthen mutual cooperation in different areas.

The Prime Minister’s visit further cements the tradition of high-level exchange of visits and reaffirms the strong bonds of friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries.

The Prime Minister will be in Washington D.C. from November 7 to 9 on an official working visit at the invitation of President George W Bush. Mr Vajpayee and Mr Bush will meet in the forenoon on November 9 at the White House and will continue their discussions over lunch hosted by President Bush.

On November 8th the Prime Minister will meet the leaders of the two chambers of the US Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives), the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the House International Relations Committee as also the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

Mr Vajpayee will take the opportunity to discuss developments following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the USA, the global campaign against terrorism and the on-going operations in Afghanistan. He will reiterate India’s solidarity with the people of the USA. Besides, the two leaders will share views on the post-conflict political settlement and economic reconstruction in Afghanistan and discuss a broad range of issues relating to regional and international stability.

The Prime Minister will be in New York on November 10 to address the UN General Assembly.

The last lap will be to UK. The PM is undertaking a working visit on November 12 and 13 at the invitation of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The two leaders had earlier met during Mr Blair’s trip to New Delhi on October 6.

During his stay in London, Mr Vajpayee will exchange views with Mr Blair on the current international situation and other issues of bilateral interest. His other engagements include a call by Home Secretary Mr David Blunkett to discuss how India and the UK can further strengthen their cooperation in combating international terrorism and India’s proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

The Prime Minister will also attend a reception hosted in his honour by the High Commissioner at which prominent British opinion and policy makers, including members of the Friends of India in the three main British political parties from both Houses of Parliament, and leading members of the Indian community in the UK are expected to attend.

PM, Musharraf may meet in January
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 2
There is a “possibility” of a meeting between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Kathmandu in early January, 2002, when the summit meeting of South-Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is likely to take place.

However, the possibility of the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan meeting in New York later this month is “still not clear.”

Stating this, Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer said “if” the SAARC summit took place in Kathmandu in early January, as was expected, then “obviously” Mr Vajpayee and General Musharraf would meet.

Ms Iyer said at a news conference here that India had always taken an initiative in continuing the dialogue process with Pakistan, despite Kargil, Kandahar and Agra and added that this position had been reiterated by the Prime Minister himself and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh.

“We have not closed doors but the atmosphere has to be conducive for dialogue,” she said referring to Pakistan’s continued cross-border terrorism against India.

The Foreign Secretary said the process of dialogue with Pakistan remained there and recalled that she had met her Pakistani counterpart on the margins of a meeting in August.

On Prime Minister’s coming visit to Russia, she said in response to a question that apart from the Moscow Declaration on International Terrorism, a joint statement on bilateral and international issues and yet another joint statement on strategic affairs would be signed between India and Russia.

Besides, a number of memoranda of understanding and agreements with Russia would also be signed during the PM’s visit. Asked specifically about the defence agreements between the two countries, Ms Iyer said the defence agreements were “still under consideration”.

On Afghanistan, Ms Iyer said India was immersed in consultations with a large number of countries, including Islamic nations, on the post-conflict scenario in Afghanistan. She added that India was for abolishing the present “6+2” set-up on Afghanistan and broadbasing it further. She said India could not be ignored in any post-conflict scenario of Afghanistan.

Greece wants Pak on board in war against terrorism
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 2
Like the representatives of major western countries who visited India, Greek Foreign Minister George A. Papandreou also wants Pakistan on board the international war against terrorism. Mr Papandreou, who came here in a special aircraft on a few hours’ visit, said this without mincing words.

Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh (L) shakes hands with his Greek counterpart George A. Papandreou in New Delhi on Friday. — Reuters photo

Addressing a press conference jointly with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Mr Papandreou said his impression was that Pakistan was no longer in favour of “retaining” Taliban.

In response to a question whether Pakistan was running with the hare and hunting with the hound and whether the USA was taking a risk in relying heavily on Pakistan in its war against terror, Mr Papandreou said he was not here to make a judgement. Without referring to Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism, he said, “We can study the deeper issues in future.”

The Greek Foreign Minister, who held talks with his Indian counterpart in Hyderabad House here, said the involvement of Taliban in post-conflict Afghanistan government was a controversial issue. However, he felt that the new government in Afghanistan should be “home-grown”, stable, peace-loving, in accordance with the international laws and must represent the Afghan people.