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Transcript of EAM's interaction with media on 1 July 09
01/07/2009
I attended the G-8 Outreach Ministerial Meeting on Afghanistan at Trieste, from June 26-27, 2009. Major topics of focus at the conference included narcotics production, border control and security, refugee issue and the development of Afghanistan's economy and infrastructure. The regional dimension of improved coordination and cooperation on border issues, trade and transit, etc were also discussed.
In the recent past, there has been a renewed international focus on the situation in Afghanistan and its linkage to Pakistan. India has a direct interest in the success of the international efforts in stabilizing the region, and has stood ready to play a constructive role in defeating extremism. We have welcomed the recent international efforts with regard to Afghanistan, which are in line with our thinking.
As you all are aware, we ourselves have a substantial reconstruction and assistance programme in Afghanistan that stretches across different sectors. Indeed, the success of many of our projects, often in extremely difficult circumstances, is a factor in many countries wanting to consult with us and engage us in Afghanistan. In my discussions in Trieste I underlined, based on our experience, that strengthening Afghan capacity and resources was going to be the critical factor for its future.
We view greater international cooperation in Afghanistan as a key factor in restoring stability there. Afghanistan is going through a sensitive phase in the context of its forthcoming Presidential election. We view the elections as an internal matter of Afghanistan and believe that the role of the international community should be no more than supportive in this regard.
My overall impression from this meeting is that greater and continuing international focus and attention on developmental and security issues concerning Afghanistan and its neighbours is helpful and in fact necessary.
I also had a series of useful bilateral meetings at Trieste, including with my counterparts from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Great Britain, Italy, and Canada, besides Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, EC Commissioner for External Relations and UN Secretary General. My interlocutors were interalia keen to know more about India's large and well-received assistance programme in Afghanistan. Discussions with the Afghan Foreign Minister included bilateral issues including on the progress of Indian assistance projects. I also conveyed to him that I was looking forward to visiting Afghanistan
I also visited Prague for the 20th India - EU Ministerial Troika meeting on 29 June 2009. You have already seen my remarks to the media at Prague, on the nature of our discussions. India and EU have a strategic partnership. Our interactions with the EU leadership, have intensified and diversified to cover all areas of bilateral engagement and regional and international issues. I am convinced that India-EU relations will continue to grow and diversify on the basis of the many synergies and complementarities that exist between us.
During my stay at Prague, I had a productive exchange of views with my Czech counterpart. I also called on the President and Prime Minister of Czech Republic, when we reviewed bilateral relations and reiterated our common desire to build on them further.
Question (Mr. Abhisar Sharma, Aaj Tak): You said that you had a meeting with Mr. Holbrooke. Have the American’s spelt out what they expect from India in terms of its role in Afghanistan? .
External Affairs Minister: They have seen what India could do in Afghanistan, how we have been able to constructively engage with them. Perhaps they have been impressed with India’s efforts to rebuild Afghanistan’s economy and infrastructure. .
Question (Ms. Maya Mirchandani, NDTV): Sir, a follow-up to that. Has there been a specific requirement from the world community for India to engage militarily in Afghanistan? Secondly, could you tell us when you are meeting with Shah Mehmood Qureshi the Pakistani Foreign Minister? .
External Affairs Minister: Nobody has suggested to media that we should get militarily involved; and India does not get militarily involved unless we are attacked. .
Question (Mr. Manish Chand, IANS): Sir, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is going to be here probably later this month. Could you give us an idea of what broadly would be the agenda? What are we looking at in terms of concrete deliverables, more specifically would the End-user Verification Agreement be signed? There has been speculation that India is ready to give two nuclear parks to the United States? What are we looking at during this visit? .
External Affairs Minister: As US Secretary of State this is going to be Mrs. Clinton’s first visit to India especially after the new Government under Dr. Manmohan Singh has taken over for the second time. I am sure the number of bilateral issues between the United States and India are going to be the focus of our attention. We will discuss global situation with particular reference to Indo-US bilateral relationship. .
Question (Ms. Geeta Mohan, Headlines Today): A report from The Age of Australia said that fifty-four students were killed in Australia last year alone of which half were Indians. And the attacks on Indian students still continue. What is the Indian Government doing? Also, the Supreme Court has already put up a notice and given a timeframe of two weeks for the Indian Government to reply? .
External Affairs Minister: The coverage of a news item in The Age of Australia has been brought to my notice. We have asked our High Commission there to find out the veracity of the reported news item. Incidentally I have decided to go to Australia. The details are being finalized. .
Question (Ms. Geeta Mohan, Headlines Today): Is the visit because of the attacks on Indian students, or otherwise? .
External Affairs Minister: This is a bilateral visit as Foreign Minister of this country. I thought with Australia we have a very good relationship, and I should go to Australia. .
Question (Mr. Shrinjoy Choudhury, Times Now): Sir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be in Egypt this month. So will the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Gilani. Is a bilateral meeting on the sidelines on the cards? Is that meeting going to happen? Secondly, you met your counterpart; Prime Minister met Mr. Zardari; the two Foreign Secretaries are going to meet and then that is possibly this meeting. Is this a sign of some kind of a thaw? Is this perhaps the beginning of a peace process or at least some kind of talks with Pakistan? .
External Affairs Minister: You know about the deliberations between our Prime Minister and President Zardari. They have had some discussions. And the Prime Minister was categorical in saying that his mandate is that the perpetrators of the attack on Mumbai have got to be severely dealt with. That is the stated position of India and that was reiterated to President Zardari by the Prime Minister. Even when I met my Pakistani counterpart, all that I conveyed to him is whatever the Prime Minister has conveyed to President Zardari. So, the stated position of India remains consistent that we are not afraid to talk. We certainly will keep talking, but at the same time we expect Pakistan to come out with certain concrete measures which are visible so that people in India and in the world at large could realize that Pakistan is serious about punishing those culprits and then reassuring India that such incidents will not again occur. .
Question: Has there been any …(Inaudible)… .
External Affairs Minister: I think it is on record that the political leadership is going to again meet in Sharm-al-Sheikh. .
Question (Ajay Kaul, PTI): I have a follow-up question. Prime Minister and Mr. Zardari decided that the Foreign Secretaries will meet. When is that going to happen and where? And what is our assessment of Pakistan on what steps they have taken with regard to the Mumbai attack? .
External Affairs Minister: What steps have they taken? .
Question (Ajay Kaul, PTI): That is what I am saying. What is our assessment? Have they taken what is necessary? Are you satisfied with that? .
External Affairs Minister: We are still waiting to know what steps Pakistan has taken to book those culprits. India is waiting. That is the actual position. But it is a fact that the political leadership of both the countries is meeting again in Sharm-al-Sheikh and then again the Foreign Secretaries are also due to meet under that mandate. The respective Prime Ministers, the Prime Minister of India and then the President of Pakistan, asked the Foreign Secretaries to meet. I believe efforts are on for a meeting between the two Secretaries. Because there are a number of international level conferences going on, I think to work out an agreed date has not been possible so far. But I am sure that they will do it. .
Question: I have a follow-up question to this. Are the Foreign Secretaries meeting in Sharm-al-Sheikh only? .
External Affairs Minister: I think that is something between the two Foreign Secretaries there. .
Question (Ms. Nidhi Razdan, NDTV): Sir, I have a follow-up to this as well about the Foreign Secretaries’ meeting. What exactly do you think will be on the agenda specifically? I know it is going to be on terrorism. But when you say we are waiting for the steps, we want to know what steps Pakistan has taken and India is waiting, are we looking for some written assurances from them? What do we want from them? And, what did Mr. Qureshi tell you when you told him about our stated position? .
External Affairs Minister: I reiterated that …(Audio Disturbance)… .
Question (Mr. Royden D’Souza, NEWS X): Sir, Prime Minister has laid out a very grand three-pronged agenda in terms of foreign policy of India which is in terms of engaging and transforming our relations with the world powers including peace, stability and security in the region that we.. (inaudible) ..our neighbours. And also securing that we come out of the global recession so that India’s economy is not hit too badly. What I would like to know form you Sir, is, as Foreign Minister what is your role in this grand plan and how do you see the implementation of this grand plan as Foreign Minister? .
External Affairs Minister: My role is to play a second fiddle to whatever the Prime Minister has stated, that is to facilitate the coming together of the Governmental representatives. I think globally the situation has become quite bad and there is a downturn, there is a slow down, and there is a recession which is staring in our eyes. India will also be affected partly by that and we will have to keep that in mind while shaping our policies, both foreign as well as domestic economic policies. .
Question: How do you plan to transform relations? .
External Affairs Minister: Whenever we meet in conferences, like the one I have been to, where there are a number of foreign Heads of Government, we have bilateral exchanges. That is engaging. The grand design of the Prime Minister of India has spread out. We will have to engage every country, and we will have to keep constantly in touch with them so that we know what is happening in that country and we also convey to them what is happening in our country. That way we stand to gain mutually.
Thank you. .
Official Spokesperson: Thank you very much. .
(Concluded)