Bush sends strong signal on Indo-US ties

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>vaidika1008 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com >[bJP News]: Bush sends strong signal on

Indo-US ties >Sat, 7 Apr 2001 18:19:02 -0400 > >Title: Bush sends strong

signal on Indo-US ties >Author: Chidanand Rajghatta >Publication: Times of

India >April 7, 2001 > >WASHINGTON: US President George W. Bush

emphatically signalled his intent to >enhance Indo-US relations by inviting

External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh >to the Oval Office for talks following

the latter's discussions with National >Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice. >

>Singh was holding talks with Rice in the White House complex at a scheduled 11

>a.m. meeting when Bush dropped in on the meeting. Such a walk-in is a typical

>American protocol manoeuvre designed to send a positive message. >But Bush

surpassed the intended gesture which some of the diplomatic fraternity >knew in

advance by inviting Singh back to the Oval office and spending nearly >half an

hour with him. >Bush's gesture, coming at a time when the U.S-China spat is

dominating headlines >here, was widely seen as signal that he intended to keep

up, if not surpass, >the importance the Clinton administration accorded to ties

with India during >its final years. > >I was honoured by the Presidents gracious

gesture, an evidently surprised Singh >said later during a brief encounter with

the media, but he did not take questions >that could have elicited what they

discussed. > >Throughout Friday, Singh met key members of the Bush

administrations foreign >policy team in an effort to seek greater convergence

between India and the United >States on security and other matters. > >Singh,

who arrived here Thursday night after visiting Sweden and Denmark, had >a

packed day meeting the three foreign policy principals of the Bush team. He

>first met National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, the youngest member of

the >Bush foreign policy team and a relatively enthusiastic proponent of

enhanced >U.S-India ties. > >He then met Secretary of State Colin Powell, a

moderate who also favours increased >cooperation with India, in the State

Department building at Foggy Bottom. Singhs >final call for the day will be on

the hard-line Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld >at Pentagon. > >Officials

said Singh was discussing a whole range of issues, including the Asian

>security situation, international and cross-border terrorism, trade and

economic >issues, and sanctions, while furthering the personal rapport with the

new foreign >policy team. > >Following the luncheon meeting, Singh and Powell

had a brief encounter with the >media just outside the state department. Powell

said they had a fine meeting >and the Presidents gesture was illustrative of the

importance the United States >attached to its relationship with India. Singh

described his meetings as very >fruitful and rewarding. > >Singh's 11 a.m.

meeting with Rice was the focus of attention since it was held >in the White

House complex and sometimes the President drops by such meetings >in an

orchestrated protocol gesture designed to send a positive message. As it

>turned out, Bush did more than just drop in. > >The China spat did not derail

any of Singhs meetings although it continued to >dominate the headlines here

(Singhs visit got nary a mention). After the pow-wow >with Rice, Singh and the

Indian foreign policy team were hosted to a luncheon >meeting by Secretary of

State Colin Powell on the elegant eighth floor of the >State Department,

following delegation level talks between the two sides. > >Singh was

accompanied by Lalit Mansingh, till recently Indias Foreign Secretary >and now

the new Indian ambassador in Washington, and senior officials of the >External

Affairs Minister including the Joint Secretary (America) and Joint Secretary

>(Disarmament). Powell had with him, among others, Deputy Secretary of State

Richard >Armitage, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc

Grossman, and the >Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Al

Eastham. > >Although in the past New Delhi's attitude about sanctions has been

that it is >up to Washington to lift it if it wants to improve the atmosphere,

this time >Singh is carrying briefs from the various Indian entities under

sanction, especially >where it involves urgent national security concerns. One

such example is the >submarine rescue deal that Washington has signed with

India and has since reneged >because of the sanctions. > >US officials,

including Powell, have indicated that the sanctions will be eased >in due

course but it will have to wait till a full review of the whole sanctions

>policy. In the meantime, US officials said, the Indian wish-list could be

examined >on a case-by-case basis and forwarded to the President for one-time

waivers. > >Although sanctions are an instrument of legislative policy, lifting

sanctions >against India has broad support in the Congress expressed in a

well-timed and >carefully orchestrated letter to the President this week by 47

lawmakers and >legislation in the Congress by members of the Indian-American

Caucus seeking >to overturn the sanctions. > >But that sentiment has to be

endorsed by Rumsfeld, a cold warrior whose worldview, >according to some

experts, has not changed much from the 1980s. Jaswant Singh, >who is a former

major in the Indian Army, is meeting him in his capacity as Defence >Minister.

The Pentagon is laying out an Armed Forces Full Honour Arrival Ceremony >when

he arrives there at 3 p.m.

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