Ms. Nirupama Rao: Their Excellencies Foreign Minister of theRussian Federation and the External Affairs Minister of India will now addressthe Press Conference.
Jaswant Singh: Thank you. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, GoodEvening. It’s my great personal pleasure and also honour to yet again bereceiving His Excellency the Foreign Minister of Russia and I am very happy thathe has come to India. We had a fruitful and a comprehensive and an extremelybeneficial discussion, wherein we have not only covered bilateral issues, issuesof regional importance but also global developments.
I am sure that the visit also takes place in the back drop of the fact thatfollowing upon President’s Putin’s visit as also the Prime Minister’svisit, it’s part of the strategic partnership that exists between India andRussia, it's also part of the preparations that the two of us will be setting inmotion for His Excellency Mr. Putin’s visit to India later. But before I sayany thing further I would invite my friend and distinguished visitor to sharehis thoughts with you.
Igor Ivanov Thank you very much. First of all I would like to thank myfriend, Minister of External Affairs of India for his hospitality to receive uson Sunday. Well the events in the world are developing very rapidly andtherefore there is a necessity for regular maintenance of contacts and exchangeof views especially between such two countries. There is strategic partnershipbetween India and Russia. We have appreciated this establishment of high levelpolitical dialogue between our two countries, especially between the leaders ofour countries.
Yesterday, we had the opportunity to exchange views and discussed the currentstatus of Russian-Indian relations, as well as the process of implementation ofarrangements that were achieved during the latest summits when President Putinvisited India and Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Moscow last year.
In accordance with our assessment the relationships are developing dynamicallyand positively and we are satisfied with them. At the same time the newest issuewhere we have pay great attention is the trade and economic relations becausethe level of trade between our two respective countries is not meeting thecapabilities and potential. In the coming days meeting will be held of theInter-Governmental Commission on trade and economic relations and theparticipants of this meetings will in detail study this issue of trade andeconomic relations. We have had a very detailed exchange of views on the mostinternational problems.
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As regards the principal issues Russia and India are standing on the sameground. This is related first of all to the issue of combating internationalterrorism and together with my dear colleague and respected friend the Ministerof External Affairs of India we have signed a statement on these problems. Thisis related to the issues of strengthening strategic stability, settlement ofregional conflicts. We have a common position to strengthen the role of theUnited Nations in international affairs. Naturally, particular attention waspaid on the settlement of problems in Afghanistan. Both Russia and India haveactively collaborated and interacted in this field and we intend and willcontinue to do so to achieve and try to find such a settlement of the situationin Afghanistan in order to ensure the well being of the local people and not toallow any threat to emit to the frontiers of Afghanistan and its neighbours.
Now I would like to thank once again the Minister of External Affairs for theconstructive and the dialogue with lot of contents during today’snegotiations. Thank you once again.
Jaswant Singh: Thank you Mr. Ivanov. The Joint Statement that we havesigned is being distributed and in addition I am of course entirely, fully notonly endorse but agree with what my good friend, distinguished visitor had saidthat it is rare and unanimous the views between India and Russia on bothregional and also the global situation today and we intend to continue to worktogether as part of the strategic partnership that exists between our twocountries.
Q: Mr. Ministers could you tell us whether the issues of strategicstability were discussed in your talks and what exchange of your views resultedin?
Jaswant Singh: Well, I will answer it. Firstly it was discussed. We areclearly of the view. First of all, I shared with His Excellency, my friend, thatthere is a deep admiration for the statesmanship and the vision that is beingdemonstrated by President Putin as also by the Foreign Minister and by Russia inaddressing this issue of global importance. We do entirely support cuts in theweapons of mass destruction but we believe that these cuts must be accompaniedby methods that are very foolproof and irreversible. Otherwise we would bedefeating the purpose of moving in this direction. We of course endorse andsupport the movement towards a new strategic framework which can be only throughdialogue, and through a large complement of international community, sharing init as possible.
Question: (Satinder Bindra, CNN). My question is addressed to MinisterIvanov. Has any defence deal been discussed in this trip. There has been sometalk in the Indian media about India leasing two nuclear powered submarines andlong-range bombers. Has this talk come up? Can you confirm this and will thiscome up during Mr. Klebanov’s visit later?
Igor Ivanov These questions were not the subject of today’snegotiations. At the same time I would like to emphasize that military andtechnical cooperation between India and Russia is developing and these relationsare developing within the framework of international commitments and obligationsand we believe that the military and technical cooperation is a component of ourwider cooperation in all other spheres.
Question: (Voice of Russia) Which regional problems were discussed duringthe meeting.
Jaswant Singh: Well, region is self-defined. We did discuss and spentsometime on questions for example, relating to terrorism, on questions relatingto Afghanistan and we believed that terrorism which is now much more ainternational and global issue and developments in Afghanistan though regionalhave global and international repercussion and they must be addressed. Boththese, terrorism and developments in Afghanistan must be addressed and we have acontinuing dialogue in this regard between India and Russia and the JointStatement is quite explicit on both these issues.
Igor Ivanov We are about to continue our talks now and naturally we willdiscuss other regional problems including the situation in the Middle East, thesituation with the Iraqi settlement and other issues which are of concern andwhich we intend to work on together.
Question: (Ms. Aunohita, Times of India): My question is addressed toboth the Ministers. In the context of discussing strategic stability did theissue of US presence in Central Asia and the issue of trilateral cooperationbetween China, India and Russia come up?
Jaswant Singh: I will answer this first. There really two questions here.The US presence is part of the presence of the international coalition forcesagainst terrorism, which is present, not just simply in Afghanistan and othercountries of Central Asia and also in the north Arabian Sea. So far as thetrilateral cooperation, this is not any formal axis of three countries, ifIndia, China and Russia have on occasions discussed issues and arrived atopinions about international developments, this is not as a part of any formaltrilateral agreement. This is much more as part of the continuing exercise ofexchanging views on important international issues between three important Asiancountries.
Igor Ivanov It was addressed to both of us. I would like to say that Ishare what the Minister Singh has just said.
Question: Russian News Agency: As this is known, you have got a messageby President Putin to Prime Minister Vajpayee. Could you please tell us thecontents?
Igor Ivanov Our today’s meeting was planned as a working meeting of thetwo Ministers. I have emphasized that we maintained constant permanent contactand that these kind of personal meetings are very important and I have nowritten message to Prime Minister Vajpayee in my hands. I only conveyed amessage to Prime Minister, that we are interested in further development andstrengthening of our strategic partnership.
Question: (Mr. Jayaram, IANS) My question is to the Foreign Minister ofRussia. There had been reports in the international media that thousands ofTaliban activists had been airlifted from Afghanistan to Pakistan after theintervention by the international coalition in Afghanistan. How does Russia viewthese developments? Do you have independent information on this?
Igor Ivanov Well your question is quite just, because it is true that notonly Russia but also other countries have this question unanswered about thewhereabouts of the majority of those who supported Taliban and participated inthe Al-Qaida activities once. Well it is hard to say with full certainty wherethese activists of Afghanistan are, where the majority of them dispersed toother countries, neighbouring countries including Pakistan. But they are stillthere. They have not disappeared and not been destroyed and therefore theinternational community should continue their efforts in order not to allowtheir rebirth. I believed that it is necessary to strengthen the entirecoalition and continue our efforts to combat this evil which is presented by theTaliban and the Al-Qaida network and this is emphasized in our statement thatthis fight cannot be and should not be and is not limited to the territory ofAfghanistan only.
Jaswant Singh: Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen of the press.
