Vajpayee transformed Indo-US ties with his vision: Kenneth Juster

US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster on Thursday called former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the giant who transformed the Indo-US relationship with his vision and personal push. Smita Sharma spoke to Ambassador Juster. 

What are your thoughts about Mr. Vajpayee today? 

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a giant in terms of transformation of the US-India relationship both in his early meetings with President Clinton and then he and President George W Bush put in efforts to take the relationship to a new level. It was PM Vajpayee who first spoke of us as natural allies and he really pushed his government as President Bush pushed his to enhance all aspects of our relationship. He will always be someone who is identified with the positive trajectory of our relationship. 

In the face of the nuclear tests and US sanctions that followed, what kind of leadership did PM Vajpayee display? 

I was not with the government right after the (Nuclear) tests occurred. But it was his vision and President Bush's that led us to overcome the difficulties made by the tests and take us to a point beyond. He was very critical when we had the Next Steps In Strategic Partnerships, that was an initiative he embraced and that led the foundation of the historic civil nuclear deal. It was the vision that he had along with President Bush as to how important the relationship was between the world's oldest and largest democracies.