The Hindu : Front Page : Strategic partnership with China will mature: Pranab Mukherjee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007
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Strategic partnership with China will mature: Pranab Mukherjee

P. S. Suryanarayana

SEOUL: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said he does “not visualise any constraints” on the development of “bilateral relations” between India and the U.S. in the present context.

At the same time, India is “confident” that its “Strategic and Cooperative Partnership” with China “will mature and steadily develop.”

Addressing the Seoul-based Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security on Monday, Mr. Mukherjee outlined India’s policy of such a diplomatic balance as between the U.S. and China.

He was responding to a question from the audience about the “implications” of the India-U.S. civilian nuclear energy deal “for regional stability” in East Asia and about the “concerns of some people whether that kind of rapprochement will continue.” He was also asked whether he would foresee “any other kinds of constraints or issues of contention between your country and the U.S.”

Mr. Mukherjee said: “I do not visualise any constraints in our bilateral relations [with the U.S.]. It is expanding very fast. In fact, we [have] had good relations with the U.S. from the very beginning. And now, it has assumed new dimensions, new angularities. … And, the latest … civilian nuclear cooperation, if it is finally materialised, would be a landmark agreement for bilateral cooperation in the context of the multilateral framework. Because… the implication would be the involvement of a large number of NSG [Nuclear Suppliers Group] countries and also India-specific arrangements with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] in [the] future… In every individual relations, there may be certain areas of divergences of views on certain aspects in a particular context. But, it is not necessary that it [the divergence] stands in the way of the overall expansion of relationship with any country.”

The Minister did not, however, indicate categorically whether he had in his mind the current political “divergences” within India over the nuclear deal. Nor was it clear from the question whether the “concerns” of some people related just to the continuance of the ongoing India-U.S. rapprochement.

Asked about the possible impact of the emerging U.S.-India equation on China’s ties with New Delhi, Mr. Mukherjee said: “There is no question of cooperation between India and the U.S. to act as some sort of containment of any country, including China.”

Trade and investment “are the great drivers of the new relationship” between India and China.

“The leaders of both countries recognise that co-existence and cooperation is the wise course of action; and sensitivity to mutual aspirations is the underpinning for building confidence and trust. There is enough space and opportunity for both of us to grow and develop and to bring benefit not only to us but also for other partners in Asia.”

Differences, including those over the border question, “did not stand in the way of investment and trade.”

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