President Bush: Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to the UnitedStates. It's my honor to welcome the Prime Minister of India to the White Housefor a series of discussions.My administration is committed todeveloping a fundamentally different relationship with India, one based upontrust, one based upon mutual values.After all, the Prime Ministerleads a nation that is the largest democratic nation in the world.
I look forward to working to foster ties that will help both our economies.Tradewith India is going to be an important part of our growth in the future.Indiahas got a fantastic ability to grow, because her greatest export is intelligenceand brain power, as our country has learned over the last decades.
We lifted sanctions on India, so that our relationship can prosper. We willfight terrorism together.Our initial discussions focused on thebattle against terror, and the Prime Minister understands that we have no optionbut to win.And he understands that there is a commitment -- thereneeds to be a commitment by all of us to do more than just talk.It'sto achieve certain objectives -- to cut off the finances, to put diplomaticpressure on the terrorists, in some cases, to help militarily.But,in any case, stand firm in the face of terror.
We also talked about the need to make sure humanitarian aid reaches those whohurt in Afghanistan.And we discussed a post-Taliban Afghanistan thatenables the country to survive and move forward, and one that represents all theinterests of the people of Afghanistan.
Over lunch, I look forward to talking about a new joint cyberterrorisminitiative and a civilian space cooperation program, as well as discussing ourmutual concerns about energy and the ability to conserve it, as well as to haveplentiful supplies as we go into the future.
So, Mr. Prime Minister, I am extremely optimistic about our relationship.It'san important relationship for our country.And I welcome you to theUnited States.Thank you for coming.
Prime Minister Vajpayee: Thank you, Mr. President, for yourkinds words.It is a pleasure to be here to continue the practice ofregular dialogue that India and the USA have established in recent years.
I was happy to be able to personally reiterate our sympathy, solidarity andsupport for the American people in the aftermath of terrible events of September11th.
We admire the decisive leadership of President Bush in the internationalcoalition against terrorism.We also applaud the resilience andresolve of the American people in this hour of trial.This terribletragedy has created the opportunity to fashion a determined global response toterrorism in all its forms and manifestations, wherever it exists and underwhatever name.I assured President Bush of India's complete supportin this.
At the same time, as material leaders, pluralist democracies, we shouldclearly spread the message that the war against terrorism is not against anyreligion, but against terrorists whose propaganda misuses religion.
President Bush and I had a very good conversation, which we will continueover lunch.In the last few months, there has been an intensiveinteraction between our two countries on a wide range of bilateral subjects.Wehave moved forward on the dialogue architecture and on defense cooperation.Aresumption of the bilateral defense policy group should promote technicalcooperationin defense and security.
The Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism has made good progress, and wehave agreed to launch a joint cyberterrorism initiative.Economic andcommercial relations are expanding.We have agreed to broaden thebilateral economic dialogue to include new areas of cooperation.Bothof us agree that the synergies and complementarities between our two countriesshould be more fully exploited.
We discussed the urgent need for a political order in Afghanistan which wouldbe broad-based, representative, and friendly with all countries in itsneighborhood.Equally important is sustained international assistancefor rehabilitation and reconstruction work in that country.We agreedthat India and the USA, in partnership with other countries, would work towardsthese goals.
Today, President Bush and I continued face to face the dialogue which we havebeen conducting over the last ten months on the phone and through letters.Ithas been an extremely rewarding experience.To sustain the momentumof the dialogue, I have reiterated to President Bush my invitation to visitIndia.I look forward to receiving him in New Delhi.
Thank you.
Q Mr. President --
Q Mr. President --
President Bush: Hold on for a minute, please.ThePrime Minister has agreed to take a couple of questions, and so have I.Ithink I will start, Mr. Prime Minister, with Fournier, Associated Press man.
Q Thank you, sir.Before meetingwith you today, the Prime Minister told The Washington Post that the U.S. wasnot prepared for the war in Afghanistan, which he said was "less thansatisfactory" and "slackening."The Saudi ForeignMinister, who you are meeting with later today, told The New York Times that youcan't be an honest broker in the Middle East peace process until you meet withArafat.Is it helpful that your coalition members are airing theirgripes in public?And what will you say to them about these chargesface-to-face?
President Bush: Well, the Prime Minister and I had a verygood discussion about the progress we're making on this particular part of thewar against terror.He understands what I understand, that we're justonly beginning to fight terrorism in Afghanistan.
I assured him exactly what I've been assuring the American people, that I'vegot the patience necessary to achieve our objective in the Afghan theater, andthe objective is to bring the al Qaeda to justice, and to make sure thatAfghanistan has got a stable form of government after we leave. I also told thePrime Minister that we're achieving our military objectives.
This is a different kind of war. It's a war that matcheshigh-technology weapons with people on horseback.It's a war in whichthe enemy thinks they can hide in caves and we'll forget about them.Itis a war that's going to take a deliberate, systematic effort to achieve ourobjectives.And our nation has not only got the patience to achievethat objective, we've got the determination to achieve the objective.Andwe will achieve it.
I appreciate the candid discussions we have with our coalition partners.Ithink it's important that we have these discussions.And the PrimeMinister and I had such a discussion, and I was glad to be able to make the caseas to why we're going to be successful.
Having said all the newspaper stories and all that business, I will tell you,our coalition has never been stronger --
Q Mr. President --
President Bush: Excuse me for a minute, please.Thecoalition has never been stronger.I'll make the case tomorrow at theUnited Nations that the time of sympathy is over.We appreciate thecondolences.Now is the time for action.Now is the timefor coalition members to respond in their own way.And the PrimeMinister of India understands that, and he is responding.And theSaudi Arabian government understands that, and they are responding as well.
Mr. Prime Minister.
Q This is a question for President Bush.Sir,why are there two laws in this world, one for America and one for the rest ofus?
President Bush: Why is there -- excuse me, two?
Q Two laws in this world -- one for America andone for the rest of us?When terrorism hits America, you go halfwayacross the world and make war in Afghanistan.But when we sufferterrorism, you ask us to be restrained.Is an Indian life (transcribed 'right' on the Whitehouse website) lessprecious than an American life (transcribed 'right' on the Whitehouse website)?
President Bush: I think there is one universal law, andthat's terrorism is evil, and all of us must work to reject evil.Murderis evil, and we must reject murder.When the terrorist attacks thattook place on October the 1st, I strongly condemned them, and I will continue tocondemn them.
And that's -- excuse me.Our coalition is strong, because leaderssuch as the Prime Minister fully understand that we must reject terrorism in allits forms, and murder in all its causes, in order for the world to be peaceful.
Holland.
Q Can we get a reaction from the Indian PrimeMinister to that?
President Bush: Excuse me, please, sir.
Q Sir, with the Aviation Security bill stilllanguishing on the Hill, why won't you agree to make the baggage handlersfederal employees? What's the holdup here?
President Bush:Steve, I think that I've asked for theSenate and the House to come up with a plan that will work -- that will not onlymake sure that as we transition to a new system that there is security for theAmerican people, that in the long run there is security for the American people.AndI believe progress is being made.
Like yourself, or like your question implies, it would be nice to have hadthe bill done yesterday.But sometimes democracy doesn't work quitethat fast.But the negotiators are working hard to come up with abill that I can sign, and I believe they will come up with a bill that I cansign.
The House had a version, the Senate had a version, and now they'rereconciling their differences.I don't believe they're that farapart, nor did I believe they were that far apart when the process began.AndI think that, from what I'm told, progress is being made.And forthat, I'm grateful.
Mr. Prime Minister.
Q Mr. Prime Minister, was India's concerns ofcross-border terrorism specifically reflected in your endorsement of theAmerican President?And have you achieved some headway in convincinghim that countries that are part of the problem cannot be part of the solutiontoday?
Prime Minister Vajpayee:This question of cross-borderterrorism has been getting our attention in both the countries.Recently,a bomb attack was made on the Legislative Assembly of the Jammu in Kashmir.EvenPakistan realized that it was a case of terrorism.
We have to fight terrorism in all its forms.We have to win thisbattle against terrorism.There is no other option.
President Bush: That's the two-question limit.Thankyou all for coming.
Q Mr. President --
President Bush: Our food is getting cold.ThePrime Minister is hungry, and so am I.
Mr. Prime Minister, thank you.
Prime Minister Vajpayee: And the dividing line betweenhunger and --
Q When are you going to India?
President Bush: As soon as possible, I am going to India.
