STATEMENT TO THE INDIA MEDIA BY PRIME
MINISTER, SHRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE AT THE CONLCUSION OF HIS VISIT
TO BALI AND THAILAND
Following is the
text of Statement of the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
at the conclusion of his visit to Bali & Thailand at Chiang
Mai, Thailand today
"We will return
to India after a rewarding visit to Bali and Thailand.
The 2nd
India-ASEAN Summit in Bali marked the institutionalisation of
our annual summit level dialogue with ASEAN. It enabled us to
review the substantive progress in several areas of common interest
to India and ASEAN since our first Summit meeting in Phnom Penh
last year. We also discussed the future directions of our cooperation.
ASEAN leaders
appreciated the fact that we have made remarkable progress on
the substantive agenda that we spelt out at Phnom Penh.
Our Framework
Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation was finalized
within a year of our announcing that we would be aiming for it.
Through this, India also demonstrated its ability and political
will to deliver on its economic linkages within the region. We
made it clear that we can proceed at a pace at which ASEAN is
comfortable.
India reiterated
its willingness to support new projects for training, education
and capacity building to hasten the process of integration of
the new ASEAN members.
ASEAN leaders
welcomed our new offers for additional flight services from airlines
of ASEAN countries to our major metropolitan cities and other
tourist destinations. They shared our ideas for strengthening
India-ASEAN road links. We agreed to join with ASEAN countries
in efforts to liberalize the air cargo services sector. Our idea
of an India-ASEAN Motorcar Rally to demonstrate our geographical
links, drew an enthusiastic response from many ASEAN leaders.
Here in Thailand also, Prime Minister Thaksin strongly supported
the idea.
Several ASEAN
leaders underlined the potential for cooperation with India in
the field of public health, through pharmaceutical imports from
India and joint research for medicines and measures to deal with
diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.
I put forward
the idea that ASEAN needs to be more closely integrated with India,
China, Japan and Korea. An Asian Economic Community, including
the 14 countries of ASEAN + 3 + 1, would more efficiently exploit
our synergies.
We agreed to
ask our thinktanks to submit to the next (Laos) India-ASEAN Summit
a "Vision 2020" document, which would lay out the road
map for future development of our relations with ASEAN.
By acceding to
the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South East Asia, we have
initiated a new level of political cooperation with ASEAN.
Our Joint Declaration
on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism is an important
step forward in promoting cooperation to eliminate the scourge
of terrorism from the region.
During my stay
in Bali, I also had meetings with the Presidents of Korea, Philippines
and Indonesia, and with the Prime Ministers of Vietnam, Singapore
and China.
President Megawati
and I welcomed the development of bilateral ties in recent times.
We agreed to expand cooperation in combating terrorism. Ways of
increasing trade between our two countries were also discussed.
We expressed interest in undertaking railway projects in Indonesia.
India was invited to invest in existing palm oil plantations of
Indonesia or those now coming up.
In my meeting
with the President of Korea, we agreed that our two countries
should work to strengthen existing economic links. Korean companies
have recently expanded their activities in India, using it as
a manufacturing base for their global exports. President Roh and
I agreed that we would strengthen the political aspects of our
friendly relations. We have invited President Roh Moo-hyun to
visit India in the first half of next year.
The President
of Philippines expressed her country’s keenness to deepen relations
with India. She made a special mention of the contributions of
the people of Indian origin to the Philippines’ economy. I invited
President Arroyo to visit India.
The Prime Minister
of Vietnam and I agreed to maintain the momentum of our recent
high-level exchanges, in keeping with our traditionally close
ties. We talked about our cooperation bilaterally and within ASEAN.
In my meeting
with Singapore Prime Minister Goh, we discussed the progress in
other negotiations for our bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation
Agreement. We have set the target for finalization of the agreement
in the first half of 2004.
My meeting with
Chinese Premier Wen Jaibao touched on the substantive forward
movement in our bilateral relations since our last meeting. To
continue this process, we have agreed to expedite the establishment
of the Joint Study Group on economic cooperation. The Special
Representatives of the two governments will have their first meeting
on the border question in the near future. :Premier Wen agreed
to make a return visit to India s as early as possible.
Although it has
been ten years since the last visit of an Indian Prime Minister
to Thailand, our bilateral relations have developed rapidly, particularly
in recent years. I was particularly touched by the Prime Minister
of Thailand’s attentive and warm hospitality, going well beyond
normal protocol requirements. We also greatly appreciated Prime
Minister Thaksin’s commitment to developing our bilateral relations
in all areas, and his support for India’s dialogue with ASEAN.
In our discussions,
Prime Minister Thaksin and I expressed our commitment to intensify
our security cooperation and our joint efforts against terrorism.
India and Thailand also agreed to work together against drug trafficking,
and in joint naval patrolling against narcotics and piracy. We
underlined the further scope for our economic cooperation and
collaboration in areas like science & technology, tourism
and civil aviation. We agreed to set up cultural centres in each
other’s country to reinvigorate our age-old cultural affinities.
The Framework
Agreement for a Free Trade Area is the first between India and
an ASEAN country. Through its Early Harvest Programme, India and
Thailand can shortly reduce tariffs on 84 items of our trade.
Prime Minister Thaksin and I agreed hat we would expedite the
implementation of the agreement, for the elimination of tariff
and non-tariff barriers to the free movement of goods, capital
and services within agreed time frames.
The other Agreements
signed in Bangkok cover cooperation in tourism, biotechnology,
agriculture and exemption of visa requirements for certain categories
of passport holders.
Our decision
to jointly work out a liberalized visa regime for business travellers
between India and Thailand will have a positive impact on our
economic exchanges.
Thailand has
agreed to reciprocate our offer of increased flight services to
Indian destinations, by offering daily flights to Bangkok and
the freedom of operation to other cities in Thailand.
We agreed to
set up a twinning arrangement between Port Blair and Phuket in
Thailand and to develop combined India-Thailand tourism destination
packages.
The Prime Minister
of Thailand and I also discussed our close cooperation in various
regional and multilateral institutions. Both sides underlined
the importance of making early progress on trilateral transportation
projects between India, Myanmar and Thailand. Prime Minister Thaksin
responded positively to several of our initiatives in ASEAN.
My address to a specially-convened
joint session of the Thai National Assembly, the first by a foreign
leader, was a unique honour for India. I also addressed a meeting
of Indian and Thai businessmen organized by the apex chambers
of commerce and industry of the two countries.
I had the pleasure
of an audience of an hour and a half with His Majesty the King
at his palace in Hua Hin. Deputy Prime Ministers Korn Dabbaransi
and Somkid Jatusripitak, Commerce Minister Adisai and Foreign
Minister Surakiart called on me during my stay in Bangkok.
I was impressed by
the Huai Hong Krai Royal Study Centre here in Chiang Mai. It is
a striking demonstration of afforestation and sustainable development.
Both the India-ASEAN
Summit and my bilateral visit to Thailand illustrated the depth
and versatility which our relations with ASEAN and its countries
have acquired. The development of closer political and economic
linkages between India and ASEAN is in consonance with our efforts
for a multipolar world order and for expanding our economic opportunities.
The response of ASEAN to our initiatives has been unequivocally
positive in all aspects"
