PM'S
SPEECH AT THE CIVIC RECEPTION AT MALE
Following is the text of the speech
delivered by Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the civic
reception given in his honour at Male,today.
``I am honoured to be among you today
and to receive the keys to this beautiful city of Male. I bring
you the cordial greetings and best wishes of the people of India
for the progress and prosperity of the fraternal people of this
country.
This is my first visit to Maldives.
I now understand why Marco Polo named these islands the "Flower
of the Indies". And also why mariners through the centuries
were irresistibly attracted to these sun-drenched islands, with
their silver beaches, beautiful lagoons, and the famed hospitality
of their people.
This charming city has a unique fusion
of many cultures. I was happy to have the opportunity today of
driving through the city and to see the Gold Dome and minaret
of the Islamic Centre, the Presidential Palace and the Ali Rasgefaanu
Ziyairaiy Memorial which are landmarks reflecting its diverse
history and culture.
The affinities with India are
also evident. Besides the modern landmarks of India-Maldives cooperation
like the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and the Institute of
Technical Education, you have the Fenfushi mosque, which has been
restored by a conservation organization from Lucknow – my parliamentary
constituency in India. We have made the offer to similarly restore
another historical mosque in Male.
I extend my warm greetings to the
expatriate Indian community in this country. It is the largest
expatriate community here. I am happy that – like your compatriots
of the diaspora elsewhere – you are contributing to the economy
of your country of domicile.
Friends,
India and Maldives are tied by
bonds of history, geography and culture. We are close neighbours,
in every sense of the term. India has always sought a constructive
partnership with Maldives with the goal of mutual progress and
prosperity. My discussions today with President Gayoom were held
in this spirit and were very productive. We reviewed ongoing projects
of our cooperation and identified new ones to harness the technologies
of our age. I reaffirmed to President Gayoom India’s commitment
to the economic development of Maldives.
All the countries of the world –
big or small, poor or wealthy – are equally worthy of our respect.
Each is a beautiful gem in Planet Earth’s open-air museum. Size
is, therefore, not a factor in the India-Maldives relationship.
Among the new areas of our cooperation
is the digital mapping and hydrographic surveys of the Maldivian
land mass and coastlines. A team from our Department of Space,
Survey of India and the Indian Navy’s Hydrographic Unit will carry
out this work. We are also discussing the establishment of a remote
sensing centre and a satellite telemedicine link between your
health care centres and premier hospitals in India.
An Indian consultancy company
is undertaking a unique project with your postal department to
computerize the postal service network in this country. This is
a new model of government-industry partnership, which can be duplicated
to great effect in other developmental areas.
These projects are typical
of the dynamic and forward-looking nature of our bilateral cooperation.
We are constantly developing a contemporary dimension to our historical
affinities.
In our cooperation with
Maldives, we place particular emphasis on human resource development.
You are a young nation with over half the population under the
age of 30 and a literacy rate of nearly 100%. This translates
into a workforce with energy, initiative and drive, which can
be a powerful engine for economic growth and development.
India has been privileged to
participate in the training of this human resource of great potential.
We are constantly striving to increase the number of vacancies
for Maldivian students in various specialized courses in India.
For the next year, we have doubled the number of vacancies available
for courses in India under our Technical Cooperation Programme,
ITEC. We will also try to expand vacancies for Maldivian students
in longer-term degree and diploma courses.
At the same time, we recognize
the value of joint investment in capacity-building in Maldives
itself. The Institute for Technical Education and the future Faculty
for Hospitality and Tourism Studies would meet the growing demand
in your economy for skilled manpower.
We would also be happy to depute
to Maldives experts and trainers in other disciplines. President
Gayoom mentioned to me today his vision for an IT Village in this
country. India is more than willing to share its expertise with
Maldives in this venture.
Friends,
A visitor to this beautiful country
is struck by the fragility of its eco-system. We support President
Gayoom’s untiring efforts to mobilize global cooperative efforts
to tackle the causes of global warming. He has been pursuing this
well before these issues acquired prominence at the Rio Earth
Summit.
The earth’s atmosphere and
biosphere know no national boundaries. We join hands with Maldives
and other like-minded countries to demand effective global action
against environmental degradation.
As with the environment, no island
is immune from the problems of terrorism. A year ago, the reach
and destruction of international terrorism showed itself on the
global stage. Our region has suffered from the ravages of terrorism
for decades before that. Both India and Maldives have committed
themselves to join the war against international terrorism.
It is a global war calling
for partnership primarily among democratic societies, which are
most threatened by the bigoted ideologies that drive terrorism.
India and Maldives have a cooperative role both in our region
and on the global arena as democratic societies against international
terrorism.
Friends,
I greatly
value this opportunity to visit your country and, particularly,
to share my views with you today on the broad horizons of the
India-Maldives partnership. It is a partnership of unalloyed cordiality.
My delegation and I will leave this country with the reassuring
confidence that it retains its vibrancy and contemporary relevance.
Thank You’