'I Do Not See A Shift'

Briefing by Foreign Secretary on Prime Minister’s visit to Yekaterinburg to attend SCO and BRIC Summits

Shiv Shankar Menon: Thank and you and to begin with apologies for being a little late. I think it is the first time, so I feel especially guilty.

We thought we would brief you about Prime Minister’s visit to Yekaterinburg in Russia on the 15th to the 17th of June. As you know, he will be going for the SCO Summit meetings which will be in the morning of the 16th, and then for the BRIC Summit – Brazil, Russia, India, China – which will be in the afternoon and evening of the 16th of June. He will be arriving there late in the evening on the 15th and coming back to India on the 17th. It is his first visit abroad in the new term of office. He will be accompanied by a delegation which includes National Security Advisor, Principal Secretary, and some of us.

As far as SCO is concerned India has participated in all the Heads of State and Heads of Government meetings of the SCO since 2005. But this is the first time that Prime Minister will be leading the delegation himself. At the last Summit in 2008 in Dushanbe, the SCO had decided to lift the involvement of Observer States to a qualitative new level. And this time for the first time the Observer States and the Member States will be meeting together in both a restricted format and then in an expanded plenary where they will be considering all the issues together.

It is a measure of how important we think the SCO is that Prime Minister is going himself, also because we think it is particularly important that regional cooperation in Asia should be encouraged at a time when the world economy is under considerable stress and when there are major issues which need to be discussed at the summit level.

In the afternoon of the 16th June there will be a meeting of the BRIC leaders – Brazil, Russia, India and China – where again there will be a restricted meeting of the leaders followed by delegation-level talks, after which I believe the media will be addressed by the BRIC leaders themselves.The BRIC leaders are supposed to, are anticipated to, exchange views on a range of views such as the global financial and economic crisis; its implications for the world economy, for security; progress in the G-20 summits; food and energy security; development and climate change issues; and on regional developments.

As you know, the term BRIC actually came into existence because of the combined economic strength of these four countries. If you look at it today, the BRIC constitutes about 25.9 per cent of the total land area of the world; 40 per cent of global population; and about 40 per cent of global GDP as well. So, it is a sizeable grouping in any sense of the word. These also have been, for some time, among the fastest growing economies in the world with tremendous potential. So, I think it is natural that the leaders of these four countries should sit together. It is the first time we are doing a summit level meeting. We have had other level meetings of the BRIC, ministerial and other levels. And BRIC leaders have also met on the sidelines of other meetings but now they are doing a stand-alone summit. So, in that sense it is a progression on what we have had in the past.

Maybe I will leave the rest to questions, if there is any that you would like to ask about this.

Question: Foreign Secretary, since you have said that he will be attending the SCO meeting, would there be any chance that he would meet the Pakistani Prime Minister or President during this meeting?

Shiv Shankar Menon: Well, they will be in the same room, same place, same time. I am sure there will be a meeting. But what sort of meeting, it is very difficult to say. The time is very limited. PM is arriving there only on the evening of the 15th. The 16th, as you can see, is taken up with the meetings. They will I am sure meet, shake hands, but more than that it is hard to predict at this stage.

I think he has the same question. This is why I did not go through a list of bilaterals. There are several leaders who will be there at the same time and there will be, I am sure, opportunities for meetings. But it would not I think be easy to organize a structured programme in quite the same way.

Question : Mr. Menon, are we looking at more bilateral meetings, say with Chinese President?

Shiv Shankar Menon: As I said, PM essentially has one day there and that day, the 16th, has the SCO in the morning, the BRIC through the afternoon and evening. So, there will certainly be meetings. At this meeting together they will have social occasions to meet. But we cannot give you a list of scheduled bilateral meetings. They will meet certainly. They will have a conversation. But more than that, I cannot tell you at this stage.

Question: Just one follow-up question. Talking about Zardari-PM meeting, they will meet you say?

Shiv Shankar Menon: They will be in the same room at the same time.

Question: Does our position on resumption of the dialogue stay the same? Is there no change in our position, or there would not be any?

Shiv Shankar Menon: I think there can be nothing more authoritative than what Prime Minister said on the floor of Parliament earlier this week.

Question: There are reports emanating from Islamabad, even from India and from Washington, that resumption of talks between the two countries is around the corner. What is your response?

Shiv Shankar Menon: That we do not negotiate or discuss these things through the media. What we had to say Prime Minister has said on the floor of the House. As I said, you cannot be more authoritative than that.

Question : From now onwards will India be attending the SCO summit on a regular basis?

Shiv Shankar Menon: This particular Summit is an important Summit not only because of the importance that we attach to the efforts that Russia has made to make it possible for Observers to also participate in all the meetings - in the restricted meetings, in the regular meetings, in the delegation-level talks as well - but it is also important because for the first time the SCO has structured the meetings, the members have chosen to structure the meetings like this. So, we are very happy to participate. It is also, as I said, discussing a very important agenda, a list of issues which matter to us, to the region, to the world. So, that is why Prime Minister is going this time.

Question: What about next time?

Shiv Shankar Menon: I cannot predict the future.

Question: I would like to ask you whether you are expecting anything tangible as an outcome of the BRIC summit? What are you really looking for in terms of the BRIC talks? Are there specific issues that India wants to build consensus with the other parties that India is looking to get out of this? What do you think can come out of this? What is India’s agenda?

Shiv Shankar Menon: Three things. One is, certainly there is value in the leaders actually discussing the world economic situation, the crisis, what they see as the prospects. There is value just in the exchange of views and opinions on that and assessments. Secondly, there has been a preparatory process which is involved - not just Track-II but scholars, economists, various meetings. We had one in India last month at the ORF where they had called scholars from all four countries. And we have gone through a set of ideas of what leaders might do to promote regional economic cooperation or cooperation between the BRIC countries themselves. So, there is a very strong economic cooperation component which we hope will emerge from the discussions. Thirdly, there is also - and you would have noticed last year when the Foreign Ministers had their stand-alone meeting of the BRIC – some congruence of views on international issues, on political issues that face us. We will be discussing those as well. That is more in the nature of a discussion rather than any policy coordination and so on. But we do think it would be useful to have that discussion as well.

Question: Sir, just a few days ago Mr. Gilani had said that a special message was being sent to the Indian Government. He had said that the last thing that both countries want is a war, and so on and so forth. Has the message arrived and what is the message all about? Does it relate to discussions and beginning of talks all over again?

Shiv Shankar Menon: I am not sure I have understood the question. We are in constant touch with each other – India and Pakistan. They have a High Commissioner here; we have a High Commissioner there. We have established channels of communicating with each other, apart from through you, the gentlemen of the press, through the media. So, I am not quite sure when you say ‘special message’. I am sure we both watch each other’s statements carefully. In the last few days you had a series of public authoritative statements from the Government of India from the leadership at the highest level. We have seen Pakistani statements as well. So, I am not sure what you mean when you say ‘a special message’.

Question: He had said that the message would be sent to the Government of India....

Shiv Shankar Menon: I think you should ask him on this.

Question: Have we received a formal offer from Pakistan to resume dialogue as early as at this meeting?

Shiv Shankar Menon: I think it has been clear for some time that Pakistan has said that they would like to resume the dialogue. I think we have also said that we would like to, but that it is necessary before that that we see certain steps being taken, and that we need an atmosphere in which a dialogue can actually bear fruit. For that, we have made it clear what we think is necessary.

Question: Could the BRIC meeting lead to some common positions between the four countries in the G-20, for instance with common policies being pushed forward by the four of you?

Shiv Shankar Menon: There is a great deal of overlap in the agendas. It is true. We have had BRIC meetings just before G-20 meetings. For instance, we had a meeting of BRIC Finance Ministers in Sao Paolo just before the Washington G-20 Summit. We did the same before the London G-20 Summit. I think that level of exchange of opinion and of coordination will continue in the future as well. For the outcome of this particular BRIC Summit, I do not want to prejudge what the leaders do. I think the outcome will be clear by the 16th evening and we will give it to you. I do not want to start guessing what they are going to do when they meet on the 16th afternoon.

Question: Could you spell out a little bit in more detail what you think of the convergence of views on international issues that would be discussed at the BRIC Summit? In addition to that, I think there is some fear that BRIC could sort of devolve into a kind of America-bashing with Russia is pushing some discussions around the dollar and things of that nature. So, what is India’s position going to be in that context?

Shiv Shankar Menon: I think that is an extreme word, what you said. If you look at what the BRIC has done so far, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to categorise what BRIC has done as bashing in any form. As far as I can, I would expect more of the same in the given situation. These are four economies which were among the fastest growing economies in the world over the last decade, which have an enormous stake in the success of the world economy, in its staying open, and in it continuing to grow, and in a rapid and full recovery from the situation that it finds itself in today. So, what you will see coming out of the BRIC will be positive, constructive. And we will try and contribute to this end, which I think frankly is an objective that everybody shares. I do not see this as being, therefore, in any way directed at anyone else. No. I see it as contributing to the greater good of us all.

Question: What do we think about SCO membership? Is it a closed club? Who are the Ministers and senior officers accompanying the Prime Minister?

Shiv Shankar Menon: The senior officers are the NSA, the Principal Secretary and I, I do not know if I count as senior. On the membership of the SCO, that is really for the members to decide. We do not anticipate movement on that issue in this summit. I know they have had some discussions among themselves, but I think that is really for them to do. Our position has been quite clear, and we find it useful to work with them functionally whether it is on counter-terrorism, whether it is on the economic issues, whether it is on economic integration issues, on all these questions; and we will continue to do so.

Question: I just wanted to follow up. You also said that there was congruence in international political issues. I just wanted if you could elaborate on precisely what that means?

Shiv Shankar Menon: One is Afghanistan for instance where I think we all would like to see the defeat of terrorism, of extremism; return of stability and economic growth and development. That is an issue which the SCO and among the BRIC as well we have discussed in the past. If you need a list of the issues, it is best to look at what the Foreign Ministers did when the BRIC Foreign Ministers met and issued a communiqué. You can see which are the issues. I do not want to go through the whole list.

Question: Sir, despite repeated assurances from the Australian authorities, and even India has said that we have spoken to the authorities, there has been another attack today taking the total number of victims to twelve. I would like to know your reaction to that.

Shiv Shankar Menon: I think it is a terrible thing that the attacks are continuing. Frankly, we would hope that everybody who is in a position to do something about it, primarily the Australian Government, will succeed in their efforts to try and stop this.

Question: Mr. Menon, do you see a shift in US policy on Kashmir? How do you respond to Burn’s statement that US wants resolution of Kashmir issue as per Kashmiri’s aspirations?

Shiv Shankar Menon: The simple fact is, I do not see a shift. No. I think we have seen statements like this in the past and I am sure we will see them in the future.

Question: Mr. Menon, as the Prime Minister goes for his first foreign trip in his new tenure, would you spell out what would you think would be the three-four foreign policy priorities for the new Government? The last tenure was taken up for a considerable extent by the nuclear deal. As India looks ahead for the next five years, what would you say are our three-four priorities?

Shiv Shankar Menon: I think one is a peaceful periphery and relations with our neighbours. The second I think would be to continue the improvement in the transformation of our relations with the major powers. The third, and this is actually the threat that joins all the other priorities, is to work with the international community to see a rapid recovery in the world economy. All three of these for us really are important because they help us to achieve our domestic goals of transforming India, of bringing our growth rate up to a level where we can achieve our basic goal of abolishing mass poverty by 2020 for which we need inclusive growth. So, to my mind that is the touchstone by which we will deal with events, deal with the rest of the world is how it helps us to transform India itself.

Question: Mr. Menon, you will be going for the SCO right after the Iranian elections today. Is the new Head of State of Iran expected to be there as well?

Shiv Shankar Menon: It depends on what happens. I am not sure that the Iranian procedures for having a Head of State in place will be completed by then. So, the expectation is that President Ahmadinejad will be there. I think that is the basis on which the planning has been done.

Question: A small follow-up question, Mr. Menon, on what you said about Australia. When we had trouble in Iraq, we stopped our workers from going to Iraq. There was an official ban that the Government of India imposed. If these attacks continue on our students in Australia, would the Government consider imposing a ban on sending students to Australia?

Shiv Shankar Menon: I think that is a matter of judgment. If you look at the size of the population and the number of people involved, I think you have to take a call depending on whether or not the level of threat and danger to our people is so how that it justifies a ban. There have been other cases where we have chosen just to issue an advisory, say. There are a whole series of steps that we could take depending on our judgment of how grave the danger is. In the case of Australia, we have not made any such judgment. We have a cooperative, helpful government which is in authority, in power, which is doing what it can to try and stop this. There will be guidelines being issued today for students, which we will make available to you.

Question: Is the Indian Government happy with the kind of effort the Australian Government is making so far?

Shiv Shankar Menon: We think they are doing what they can.

Question: I wanted to push you a little bit on this question of the dollar. President Medvedev has been very clear that he wants to use the BRIC summit meeting to talk about moving the world away from the dollar as a reserve currency. What is India’s position on the global reserve currency?

Shiv Shankar Menon: I am sure we will discuss the issue. If anyone wants to raise an issue, we will all discuss it. We ourselves in the past have spoken of the need to increase SDRs and their role. But there are several possible solutions to this issue, and I am sure we will discuss it. So far, frankly, it has been an academic discussion of possibilities rather than any coordinated policy decisions by states. That is the level at which it is now. So, I would rather not get ahead of ourselves here.

Question: Has there been an official request from the Pakistani Government for a meeting between their President and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh? Not just a handshake, a proper, formal meeting.

Shiv Shankar Menon: No.

Question: Sir, yesterday we heard the American version of William Burns meeting with Indian Prime Minister and other leaders. He said that US emphasized on resuming dialogue between India and Pakistan.