A Question of Answers: Indo-U.S. relations are running smooth

The U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement last Sunday in the Indian capital about the Kashmir dispute and the need for international observers to make the elections in the troubled state more credible caused a lot of embarrassment to the Indian government. The Opposition had attacked the Vajpayee government for its weak-kneed response.

But the Minister of State for External Affairs, Digvijay Singh, asserted in the Lok Sabha that Powell had clarified his statements, and that there was no pressure from the U.S. It did not convince the Opposition and independent analysts.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Singh said that Indo-U.S. relations were running smooth, and there were no differences. He said India continued to ask the U.S. to pressure Islamabad to end cross-border terrorism.

Singh has an M. Phil in International Relations from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and he was a deputy minister for external affairs in 1990-91 in the short-lived Chandrashekhar government.

Singh, who took over as Minister of State for External Affairs on July 1 along with Minister of External Affairs Yashwant Sinha, clarified that India's relations with Israel did not change its relations with the Arab governments. He reiterated India's support for Iraq.

Excerpts from the interview:

Were you surprised by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement last Sunday (July 28)?
I was initially surprised by Powell's statements. But his subsequent statements in Islamabad and on his way to Bangkok had shown that there were no differences in perception between India and the U.S.

Powell had made it clear that he did not think that there was a need for international monitors during the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

Powell had said that Kashmir was on the international agenda. What is your response?
He had also made it clear that the Kashmir issue can only be resolved through bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan. He had reiterated that India-Pakistan dialogue can only be held on the basis of the Shimla Accord and Lahore Declaration. And he had rejected the idea of a plebiscite. It is the media that had played up the differences. There are none.

But Powell did say that the elections in Jammu and Kashmir is the first step towards resolving the Kashmir dispute through dialogue. Does it mean that the U.S. wants India to talk to Pakistan?
India has never been averse to a dialogue with Pakistan. But we want a conducive climate to be created for the dialogue. That is, Pakistan will have to end cross-border terrorism. And it is not willing to do so.

Has India asked the U.S. to pressure Islamabad to end cross-border terrorism?
We did. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf did not promise India that he would end cross-border terrorism. It was the American envoys who had informed us about Pakistan's assurances. That is why we are asking the Americans to see to it that Pakistan keeps to its pledges. It is the American credibility that is at stake.

Though India and the U.S. have come closer after September 11, 2001, is it not true that there are differences in perception between the two countries?
There are no differences because the U.S. accepts the Indian position about cross-border terrorism. After coming out of his meeting with Pakistan Foreign Minister Inam-ul-Haq, Powell told journalists in Islamabad last Sunday that infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC) was continuing, and that Pakistan has to do more to end it.

Is the India-Pakistan stand-off the only important issue between India and the U.S.?
Indo-U.S. relations are not confined to Pakistan. It is a diversified relationship, and it has grown immensely in the last 18 months, and it is poised to gain greater depth in the future.

Now that there has been a major change in the Ministry of External Affairs, what is your major focus?
There is no essential change in foreign policy. The focus will be on the neighbouring countries, the Arab countries, and Africa. We have a long-standing relationship with the African countries, and we want to strengthen it, especially on the economic plane.

There is apprehension among Arab governments about India getting closer to Israel?
India's relations with Israel are based on the perception of our national interests, and they do not affect India's relations with the Arab governments. Though the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) had passed resolutions about Kashmir which are critical about India, it has not affected India's relations with the Islamic countries.

As a matter of fact, about 40 of the Islamic countries supported India during the Kargil conflict, and found that Pakistan was in the wrong.

India has long been a supporter of the Palestinians. What do you have to say about U.S. President George W. Bush's statement that Palestine should have a new generation of leaders for the peace process to succeed. What is India's stand?
It is for the Palestinians to decide whether they want new or old leaders. No other country can prescribe to them about who should lead Palestine.

The U.S. is also plotting the overthrow of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. What is the Indian view in the matter?
India's relations with Iraq are very close. It was only last year that an all-party delegation, including a group of eminent people, visited Iraq. Everyone knows about India's relations with Iraq.

Did India discuss these issues with Powell?
No. We discussed only bilateral relations.