PRIME
MINISTER’S STATEMENT AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE 0N
15TH SEPTEMBER AT NEW YORK
Following is the text of the statement made by
the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at New York, yesterday:
"Today, I conclude a satisfying visit to New
York. Besides attending the 57th Session of the United
Nations General Assembly, I met a number of Heads of State and
Government, US Congressmen and Senators, and representatives of
US and Indian community organizations.
I had the pleasure of meeting President Bush
in New York. We re-affirmed our commitment to a long-term relationship
of trust and transparency between India and USA. President Bush
reiterated the total commitment of USA against terrorism and condemned
the recent killings in Jammu & Kashmir, aimed at sabotaging
the election process in that State. We reviewed our bilateral
relations and agreed to intensify contacts and exchanges in high
technology, space and nuclear energy.
I welcomed the opportunity to meet a group of
US Senators and Congressmen. There is broad political support
both in the Senate and the House of Representatives for strong
India-US relations. I expressed our appreciation for this. We
discussed areas where the US Congress could support the initiatives
of our two governments to further intensify India-US relations.
A delegation of US Jewish organizations called
on me. The Jewish community in USA has been strongly supportive
of India in the US Congress and outside on terrorism and other
important issues.
In a cordial meeting with the President of Afghanistan,
I conveyed a strong message of our support for the unity and independence
of Afghanistan. The President appreciated India’s financial, economic
and technical assistance to his country.
Our traditionally close ties with Mauritius were
re-affirmed in my meeting with the Prime Minister Sir Anerood
Jugnauth. Our cooperation with Mauritius is strong and vibrant.
A Union Cabinet Minister would shortly be visiting Mauritius to
lay the foundation stone of their Cyber City, which is being built
under Indian financial assistance of US $ 100 million and with
our technical cooperation. I invited the Prime Minister to the
inaugural Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas celebrations in Delhi in January
next year.
In my meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark,
we discussed the intensification of the India-EU cooperation in
the context of the forthcoming India-EU Business Summit in Copenhagen.
We agreed to jointly attend a session of the India-EU Business
Summit on the eve of the Heads of Governments Summit.
With the Prime Minister of Japan, I discussed
follow-up on initiatives which we had announced during my visit
to that country late last year. Economic cooperation has made
satisfactory progress, including work on the Delhi Metro and preparatory
action on the cleaning of the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers.
I had the opportunity to meet the newly elected
President of Zambia and to reiterate to him India’s commitment
to further strengthening our historical relations. I reiterated
my invitation to the President to visit India and we expect his
visit to materialize in the near future. A number of areas of
India-Zambia cooperation were identified for future cooperation,
including small-scale industries and agricultural development.
We have had relations of close cooperation with
Bulgaria, both bilaterally and in the UN. In my meeting with the
President of Bulgaria, we reviewed our bilateral relations in
all areas. I conveyed our appreciation to Bulgaria for their support
to us in matters of concern in the UN Security Council, Bulgaria
has also extended its support to India’s permanent membership
of the UN Security Council.
A common theme running through all these meetings
was that of international terrorism. Every single world leader
whom I met condemned the terrorist attacks in Jammu & Kashmir
and elsewhere in India. The Prime Minister of Mauritius called
for an end to cross-border infiltration in his UNGA statement.
Meeting in New York during the first anniversary of the horrible
tragedies in USA, I naturally discussed with all these leaders
the imperative need for democracies to cooperate in rooting out
terrorism effectively and without discrimination.
It was a poignant experience for me to meet some
of the relatives of the Indian victims of the brutal terrorist
attacks of September 11. I attended the simple, but evocative,
remembrance ceremony at Battery Park to express solidarity with
all those who have suffered from terrorism.
It was a special pleasure to pay homage in New
York to the memory of Swami Vivekananda.
The diverse groups of Indian community representatives
whom I met on various occasions gave me a good idea of the outlook
and perspectives of the Indian diaspora in this country".