THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI AJIT KUMAR PANJA)
(a) During the visit of Prime Minister to the United States at the invitation of the US
President, the two sides discussed a range of bilateral issues, including progress made in the
implementation of the Vision of the New Relationship between India and the United States, and
further expansion of mutually beneficial co-operation in areas such as trade and commerce,
finance and investment, energy and environment, health, science and technology, and
counter-terrorism. The two sides also discussed a range of regional and international
issues of mutual concern.
(b) Prime Minister and President Clinton reaffirmed the vision they had outlined in
March 2000 of the closer and qualitatively new relationship between India and the United
States. In a Joint Statement concluded at the end of the visit, they agreed that Indo-US
relations will be a vital factor for shaping a future of peace, prosperity, democracy,
pluralism and freedom for this world. They expressed satisfaction with the progress made in
the implementation of the Dialogue Architecture between the two sides. A Joint Working Group
on UN Peacekeeping Operations and a framework of bilateral dialogue on Afghanistan have been
added to the Dialogue Architecture.
The two sides made progress in intensifying commercial, economic, and scientific ties,
including in civil aviation, biotechnology, health, textiles, energy, information technology,
mutual taxation, and investments.
The two sides reiterated their belief that problems between countries in South Asia can only
be resolved by the nations of South Asia and stressed the unacceptability of continued violence
and bloodshed as a basis for solution of the problems of the region. They also expressed their
determination to further reinforce cooperation to combat terrorism and called on the
international community to intensify its efforts in combating international terrorism.
The discussions also reflected the growing dialogue, and desire for cooperation, between the
two countries on international security issues, especially in the Asian context. The two sides
also reiterated the intention of the two countries to continue their dialogue to narrow
differences on non-proliferation issues.
(c ) & (d) The US side is well aware of Government`s view that all unilateral restrictions
against India are unjustified and counter-productive and should be completely lifted. The US has
lifted a number of unilateral restrictions it imposed on India after the nuclear tests of May
1998. The US has not indicated the time-frame for lifting the remaining restrictions.
(e) & (f) During the visit of Prime Minister to Washington, there was a thinly-attended
demonstration by some private groups. The demonstrators were kept at a considerable distance
from Prime Minister by the US Security.
(g) The official delegation that accompanied Prime Minister included: Shri Jaswant Singh,
External Affairs Minister; Shri Yashwant Sinha, Finance Minister; Dr. (Smt.) Najma Heptullah,
Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha; Shri Naresh Chandra, Ambassador of India to USA; Shri Brajesh
Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister; Shri Lalit Mansingh, Foreign Secretary; Shri
N.K. Singh, Secretary to PM; Shri Ashok Kumar Basu, Secretary, Ministry of Power; Shri Shyamal
Ghosh, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications; Shri Prabir Sengupta, Commerce Secretary;
Shri H.K. Dua, Press Advisor to PM; Shri Kamlesh Sharma, PR, PMI New York; Shri T.P. Sreenivasan,
Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Washington; Shri T.K. Mitra, Director, SPG; Smt.
Shashi U. Tripathi, Consul General, New York; Shri P.P. Shukla, Joint Secretary,
Prime Minister`s Office; Shri Alok Prasad, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs; Shri
R.S. Jassal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs; Shri P.S. Raghavan, Joint Secretary,
Prime Minister`s Office; Shri Ajay Bisaria, Private Secretary to PM; Prof. Anoop Misra, Personal
Physician to PM.
(h) The visit helped in consolidating the new phase of friendship and cooperation with the
United States and deepening understanding between the two sides. Both sides acknowledged that
the visit helped to accelerate the upward path in bilateral relations and move the relationship
to a higher plane, thus contributing to the process of building the new relationship, envisaged
in the Vision Statement of March 2000. Prime Minister`s interaction with the two presidential
candidates and the US Congress is expected to further strengthen the broad-based and bipartisan
support that exists for stronger relations with India. It would also contribute to maintaining
continuity and momentum in Indo-US relations with the new Administration. The visit also
enabled PM to directly address a wider audience in the United States, including the US Congress
and the business community, on our social, political and economic progress, our foreign policy
and security concerns, our vision of Indo-US relations and our perspective on international
issues. He also had the opportunity to interact with the Indian-American community, which is
playing an increasingly influential role in US politics.
