The Hindu : Front Page : 'India to carry forward economic reforms'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 20, 2004

Front Page

'India to carry forward economic reforms'

By Harish Khare

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 19. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, today left on an eight-day foreign trip that will take him to London, New York and Geneva. He will address the United Nations General Assembly and is scheduled to meet the Presidents of the United States and Pakistan, George Bush and Pervez Musharraf.

He will hold talks with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in London.

According to a senior ministerial colleague, the visit can only enhance the Prime Minister's international stature.

"World leaders will see a basically decent person, an upright man, a competent administrator and a mature politician."

Dr. Singh has packed in a number of activities in his five-day stay in New York, including a meeting with the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, another meeting with the Chief Executive Officers and a full-length interview with the Public Broadcasting Service.

"This time the Americans will see a less tongue-tied and more agile Indian Prime Minister," added an aide.

Over the last few days, Dr. Singh and his aides have been finetuning the talking points for the meetings with Mr. Bush and Gen. Musharraf.

It is learnt that the Indian side will be keen to impress upon the American leaders that the new Government in New Delhi is no less friendly towards the U.S. than the Vajpayee Government.

The Prime Minister is expected to point out that the 1998-2004 period was merely a continuation of the initiatives that began during the 1991-1996 tenure of the Congress Government led by P.V. Narasimha Rao.

The second point that the Indian side will want to put across to the interlocutors in America is the continuity in economic reforms at home.

But it will also be added that the United Progressive Alliance Government had to be necessarily mindful of the need to make the reforms process relevant and acceptable to the vast sections of the population.

And, it is understood, that Mr. Bush would want to hear the Indian perceptions of the India-Pakistan relationship. Dr. Singh intends to tell him that the peace process was moving forward and that the new Government was for normal, peaceful relations with all the neighbours in South Asia.

There may be differences in perceptions between the Indian and American sides on Iraq and Iran.

On Iraq, the UPA Government's position remains the same as that of the Vajpayee Government: no Indian troops, no dismemberment of Iraq, preference for the United Nations route and willingness to participate in reconstruction in Iraq.

Meeting with Musharraf

As far as meeting with Gen. Musharraf, tentatively scheduled for September 24, is concerned, the Indian expectation is that it should be a "normal" meeting, without too much hype.

The Indian side will not be averse to speaking its mind, politely but firmly, about its concerns on cross-border terrorism.

There may not be any dramatic announcements. In any case, the two leaders will be meeting again in Dhaka. The accent will be on the talk process.

Test of skills

Though this is his second foreign trip as Prime Minister, this will be the first test of his diplomatic skills. His hope will be that the trip would deepen the developing image of a competent Prime Minister at work.

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