National   

`PM's trip put off due to domestic preoccupations'

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI, JAN. 19. Owing to "domestic preoccupations," the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has put off his February 8-9 visit to Phuket, Thailand, for the Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand-Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC) summit as well as a scheduled bilateral visit to Australia.

Announcing this today, the Ministry of External Affairs said that Mr. Vajpayee had two telephone conversations with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, about the now-postponed BIMST-EC summit, which would have been the first of its kind.

According to an official statement, Mr. Vajpayee informed Dr. Thaksin that he would be unable to attend the summit due to a number of domestic preoccupations. "The Prime Minister of Thailand conveyed he had discussed this with the other BIMST-EC leaders, and it was felt that it would be inappropriate to proceed with the summit under these circumstances."

"It was, therefore, agreed that the summit would be postponed to a subsequent, mutually convenient date, to be fixed through diplomatic channels," it said.

"The Prime Minister has also postponed his bilateral visit to Australia, which was scheduled to follow his visit to Phuket for the BIMST-EC summit. He has written to the Prime Minister of Australia [John Howard], explaining the circumstances," the statement added.

India, along with Thailand, has been active in pushing BIMST-EC as a vehicle of sub-regional cooperation. The Government spokesman here have been saying from time to time that BIMST-EC can even be an alternative to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Before the successful SAARC summit in Islamabad, New Delhi maintained that in case this meeting was to fail, then BIMST-EC (where there is no Pakistan), would be a major project for India.

Analysts believe that engagement with Myanmar and Thailand is crucial for the development of India's North-East. With Myanmar reluctant to join SAARC, despite its geographical linkages with South Asia, BIMST-EC can prove to be a key factor for economic integration of the region.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• Digvijay and Gehlot, special invitees to CWC
• Vajpayee, Advani review election issues
• No compromise on ideology, says Sonia
• `Samyukta' presented to the Army
• Reformers, radicals lock horns
• Carnival of the unlettered and dispossessed
• Agricultural activism, Bove's style
• South African judge held on rape charge
• Those young bravehearts and their tales
• Cauvery: Karnataka asked to respond by January 26
• Venkaiah Naidu all set to be re-elected
• Taslima undaunted by `fatwa'
• India, U.S. to collaborate in disaster management support
• No hike in Railway fares: Nitish
• Supreme Court to hear plea against CVC Act curtailing CBI's powers
• Janata Party to oppose BJP, Congress
• Shirin Ebadi deplores Gujarat violence
• Women's group condemns threat
• Revived ties with Pakistan may help BJP in elections: Mahajan
• Shinde turns up at World Social Forum
• `PM's trip put off due to domestic preoccupations'

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu