Former Prime Minister of India - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

PRIME MINISTER SHRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE'S PRESS STATEMENT ON HIS THREE-NATION TOUR

The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee made the following Press Statement on his three-nation tour in London yesterday:

~I return to Delhi from London tomorrow on completion of deeply satisfying visits to Russia, USA and UK. I addressed the UNGA and met the Presidents of Argentina, Cyprus and Iran and the Prime Minister of Mauritius on the margins of the General Assembly.

The visit to Russia enabled a further consolidation of our bilateral strategic partnership. My discussions with President Putin and the Russian leadership confirmed the congruence of geo-strategic outlook between us, and the enormous scope for further economic cooperation. The Moscow Declaration on Terrorism and our bilateral joint statement, along with the several agreements concluded during the visit, set out the outlines of future cooperation. Our defence cooperation and cooperation in atomic energy and space are proceeding smoothly and we agreed on the contours of their future development.

My talks with President Bush centered on our perspectives on the India-US partnership for the future. President Bush was categorical on the commitment of his Administration to a comprehensive and all-round intensification of our bilateral relations over a wide canvas. The lifting of economic sanctions should facilitate high technology transfers, cooperation in space and defence, and collaboration in the civilian applications of atomic energy. We have agreed to discuss these aspects in detail in the framework of a resumed and enlarged Bilateral Economic Dialogue and in other bilateral forums. Our relations with USA have strengthened significantly, and I believe there are excellent long-term prospects for their expansion and diversification.

During my working visit to UK, I exchanged views with Prime Minister Tony Blair. The talks illustrated, yet again, the convergence of our views on all major international issues. We reviewed the entire range of bilateral relations. This will be carried forward in greater detail during the forthcoming official visit to India of Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mrs. Blair.

In my discussions with leadership of Russia, USA and UK and in my other bilateral interactions, I found an identity of views on tackling and countering international terrorism. All the leaders agreed that terrorism should be tackled on a global and comprehensive manner, that no political, economic or ideological justification for terrorism is acceptable; and that the international community should summon the necessary political will to ensure that funding and all forms of safe haven for terrorists are cut off effectively everywhere.

Similarly, there was a convergence of views on action for the future of Afghanistan. I stressed the need or a broad-based, representative and neutral government, and for effective participation by the international community in rehabilitation and reconstruction in that country. Our view that the 6+2 process should be expanded to make it more representative and effective, found wide agreement in Russia, USA and UK. We will be discussing further, with these and other countries, the formation of a representative group of countries, including India, which would engage in the political and humanitarian arrangements in Afghanistan.

In sum, therefore, my visit served to enlarge and deepen the areas of understanding and agreement with our friends and partners~.