Interview of FS with All India Radio

12/08/2010


Interviewer (Shrimati Kalyani Shankar): Welcome to this programme, Mrs. Nirupama Rao. Parliament is rocked with the issue of Commonwealth Games controversy. Are you worried about the image of India abroad in view of the controversy regarding the Commonwealth Games and what kind of damage control exercise could be undertaken?

Foreign Secretary (Shrimati Nirupama Rao): Let me say as far as the Commonwealth Games are concerned, the Games are a matter of national pride and prestige. Naturally, we all look forward to hosting them successfully. As far as the participating countries and delegations are concerned, the Government has kept them fully briefed about all the issues, about infrastructure and security to assure them that preparations are on track and we are committed to holding a very successful Commonwealth Games.

Interviewer: The problem now is that we are not ready. That is what the controversy is all about. But are you confident that we will be somehow able to manage?

Foreign Secretary: When the hon’ble Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports spoke in the Lok Sabha yesterday and he briefed the hon’ble Members about the state of preparedness for the Games, he indicated that almost all the stadia, other sports venues, and the Games Village facilities are ready. So, I think the nation has been kept fully in the picture about the fact that the preparations are going ahead and that we are committed, as I mentioned at the outset, to holding a very successful Commonwealth Games.

Interviewer: Have you received any concerned queries about preparations?

Foreign Secretary: No, let me say that we, as I said earlier, maintain a very close and very regular communication with all the participating countries. Our Missions abroad are publicizing the fact of the Games through the local media in those countries. Our Missions are collaborating with the local India Tourism Offices wherever they are. And a special effort is being made also to publicize these games through events that we will hold in some Commonwealth countries during the celebration of our Independence Day.

Interviewer: Mrs. Rao, you had been part of the delegation which went to Pakistan last month along with EAM for Pakistan and Indian Foreign Ministers’ talks which are seen or perceived as a failure. Have you received any communication from Pakistan? When will the Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi visit India resuming the talks again?

Foreign Secretary: I would by no means describe our External Affairs Minister’s visit to Islamabad in July as a failure because it was not a failure. Our relations with Pakistan are complex. As you know, you have to be aware of the last sixty years in our ties. Each visit or meeting that we undertake is part of a long process which no one believes is going to be easy. What this visit did was to help us promote understanding of each other’s point of view on issues of mutual concern. Now, despite the fact that there were differences on a few issues and I do not deny that given the complexity of this relationship, one must be aware of the fact that differences cannot be bridged in one meeting alone. But we had a good understanding on many other issues, and Foreign Minister Qureshi has accepted EAM Shri S.M. Krishna’s invitation to visit India at a mutually convenient date which we will decide through diplomatic channels. Subsequent to the meeting also, both sides, and we have heard this from Pakistan also, that they believe that dialogue is the most effective means to tackle outstanding issues and, as I have said on many occasions previously, any interruption in the dialogue or an abandonment of dialogue does not serve the interest of either country.

Interviewer: So, what would be the next meeting’s agenda?

Foreign Secretary: I will not prejudge agendas or outcomes as far as the next round of talks with Pakistan is concerned. Let me say there is an invitation, a standing invitation from our Minister of External Affairs to Foreign Minister Qureshi of Pakistan to visit India to continue this process of dialogue.

Interviewer: About 26/11 we have been talking to them. We have been telling them they should do something about punishing the culprit. But after your visit and till now, is there any forward movement in that?

Foreign Secretary: Trial of the Mumbai suspects who are in the custody of Pakistan is still to be completed, and that process has been very slow, and we have remarked on the glacial pace of that process previously also. So, what I am telling you is nothing new. We have time and again emphasized to Pakistan that it is our expectation, it is our hope, and it is our desire that this process moves forward because Pakistan has also acknowledged that the masterminds and the handlers involved in the Mumbai terror attacks came from Pakistan. Therefore, there is action to be undertaken by Pakistan to bring those culprits to justice. And public opinion in India is naturally very concerned about it. The degree of alienation that our people in India feel about Pakistan because of the fact of terrorism that has been promoted and encouraged from that country’s soil directed against India, is very real and palpable, and I think Pakistan should understand the force of Indian public opinion on this issue.

Interviewer: How much of WikiLeaks information was known to India and what use will it be to continue the dialogue with Pakistan while Pakistan-sponsored terrorism continues?

Foreign Secretary: The role of official agencies from Pakistan in encouraging terrorism against India is something that we have been speaking of and drawing attention to for a long time now. It is not just that the WikiLeaks came up with that revelation. It has been known to us for a long time. And Pakistan has from time to time made the commitment to us that it will not permit the pursuit and encouragement of terrorism from territory under its control or, from Pakistani territory. So, I think what we have done over the last few occasions when we have had the opportunity to raise these issues with Pakistan is to make it very clear to them that the atmosphere for the pursuit of our dialogue with that country can never be really conducive until and unless they stop the encouragement of terrorism against India. So, this dialogue that we have had with Pakistan has served the purpose of putting across our deepest concerns to Pakistan on this issue. I think it is the best option available to us.

Interviewer: Do you expect a change in the attitude of the United States towards Pakistan after the WikiLeaks leak, now that there is some hard evidence against Pakistan?

Foreign Secretary: We have had a very useful and productive dialogue and a very frank dialogue with the United States about our concerns on terrorism emanating from Pakistan. I think the United States is fully aware of the concerns that we have in this regard, and our cooperation and our dialogue with the United States on counterterrorism issues has been, as I said, very productive and useful. Now there is of course the context of the war against terrorism that the United States is engaged in in Afghanistan and the role that they see for Pakistan in this context. But let me say that a lot of people speak of the dependence that countries have on Pakistan in this regard. I think more and more the world community is coming to understand the nature of terrorism emanating from Pakistan, the need for Pakistan not to adopt a selective approach when it comes to dealing with terrorist groups on its territory. The British Prime Minister Mr. David Cameron referred to it very very eloquently during his recent visit here.

Interviewer: Are you worried about the increasing dependence of the US on Pakistan for getting out of Afghanistan? Where does that leave India?

Foreign Secretary: I do not believe that our development partnership with Afghanistan is a zero sum game. Afghanistan, as I have said earlier also, is a very fiercely independent country. And the kind of takeaway we have had from meetings with the Afghan leadership in the recent past is that they are very zealous about guarding their independence, and in ensuring that the progress that has been made in Afghanistan over the last nine years is not eroded in any manner. This is progress in the field of development, in the field of gender issues, women particularly, that is an issue that concerns all of us. For India, Afghanistan is a neighbor. So, let me say that being friends as we are with Afghanistan, and this is a very deep friendship, we are confident about our profile in Afghanistan and the fact that our interests there are well recognized by the Afghan Government and by the international community.

Interviewer: Mrs. Rao, when will the US President Obama visit India? Are the dates finalized? What would be the highlight of his visit?

Foreign Secretary: When our Prime Minister visited the United States in November last year on a state visit at the invitation of President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited US President Obama to visit India. President Obama has accepted this invitation and the visit is to take place in early November 2010. This will be the first visit of President Obama after he became President of the United States. So, it is a very important visit and I am sure it will be a very definitive visit in the context of the growing strategic global partnership between India and the United States. During this visit we will discuss not only bilateral issues but regional and global issues of mutual interest. The programme and other details for this visit are being decided in consultation with the Government of the United States. There has been a steady improvement of our relations with the US over the last decade and we intend to move ahead on a broad range of issues. We have constantly heard from our friends in the United States that our rise, our progress, our development is good for the world, is good for the United States; and that given India’s orientation towards peace and stability in world affairs, and our democracy, our rule of law, that the United States and India share a balance of values. So, that is the underpinning for this relationship. So, I think there is potential in this relationship beyond our present imagination. The scope is truly immense for the relationship between two of the world’s largest democracies who share similar values.

Interviewer: How long will the visit be?

Foreign Secretary: As I said, the programme and other details are being decided at this moment.

Interviewer: Mrs. Rao, the Nuclear Liability Bill is all ready and the Government wants the Bill to be passed this Session. What would be the next step?

Foreign Secretary: The passage of the Bill, as in when it is completed, would enable the expansion of the generation of nuclear energy in our country. This would include cooperation with a number of countries. Basically what we have felt is that we should have the domestic legislation that conforms to international standards to deal with civil liability in the case of any future nuclear incidents. That is what Government is doing and that is why we have proposed the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Bill, 2010, which was placed before Parliament in May and is currently under consideration of the Parliamentary Standing Committee concerned.

Interviewer: Our National Security Advisor Mr. Shivshankar Menon visited China sometime ago. When will the next round of border talks take place?

Foreign Secretary: We do not have dates on the next meeting of the Special Representatives to discuss the boundary question between India and China. But as you know, we have had thirteen rounds of these talks so far. The last round took place in August 2009. We have achieved some concrete results in this process, especially in 2005 when our countries signed the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the settlement of the India-China boundary question. Our National Security Advisor Mr. Shivshankar Menon has been appointed by our Prime Minister as the Special Representative for India at these talks. We are confident that the next round of the Special Representatives’ talks will be held soon.

Interviewer: There are some concerns about China not issuing visas to Kashmiris. China on its part has also expressed concerns about the Chinese labour not getting visas and the businessmen not getting visas. Are these concerns addressed now?

Foreign Secretary: As you are aware, the nature of our interaction with China has grown enormously over the past few years; and in particular economic exchanges between India and China have grown exponentially. As far as the issue of visas which you mentioned for Kashmiris, for citizens of India who are domiciled or belong to the State of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, you know our point of view has been put across very clearly to the Chinese that we do not accept this policy of stapled visas to our citizens who belong to Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese Government has been informed very clearly that we reject that policy. As far as the visa regimes for both India and China are concerned, these are being constantly adjusted to meet the growing requirements of travel between our two countries because these regimes have to take into account the tremendous growth in our economic exchanges. But today I believe there are no significant problems apart from the issue that I mentioned earlier about the stapled visas.

Interviewer: What about the Iran pipeline? How do we balance our relationship with Iran along the United States?

Foreign Secretary: You are talking about the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. Our relations with the United States and our relations with Iran are independent of each other and you should not hyphenate them. As far as the pipeline is concerned, India is very interested in cooperation with Iran including in the oil and gas sector. To put that in context, especially in terms of the import of crude which we require for the growing economy, Iran is an important supplier. Issues of pricing, transit fee, transportation tariff, point of delivery, project structure, and security would apply when it comes to the pipeline. This is a multilateral project. It would naturally involve protracted discussions as all aspects have to be carefully examined and deliberated upon to the satisfaction of the participating countries. So, we are going to discuss this further - the bilateral aspect of this, the India-Iran cooperation in this regard - when we meet within the Joint Working Group on Oil and Gas that we have with Iran, and that is likely to be convened later this year.

Interviewer: Thank you very much for being with us, Mrs. Rao.

(Concluded)

New Delhi
August 12, 2010

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