ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Vajpayee seeks to mend fences with China, Pakistan

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today expressed India's willingness to set right the strained relations with China and Pakistan in the aftermath of the nuclear tests.

''We want good relations with China and have made it amply clear that each side should be equally responsive to the other's concerns, we want to set a firm foundation for a stable and long term relationship through dialogue," Vajpayee said in an interview to UNI.

Vajpayee disagreed with the view that relations between India and China had deteriorated since the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government came to power. ''I do not subscribe to this view,'' he said.

Replying to a question, Vajpayee said India was willing to resume a dialogue with Pakistan. ''We are awaiting a response from Pakistan to the proposals handed over to them at Dhaka,'' he said.

Vajpayee said he hoped to attend the SAARC summit at Colombo in July to discuss issues of mutual concern to the SAARC-member countries.

Vajpayee declared that India ''is a nuclear weapon state and this is an objective reality.''

Q: The general impression is that the government conducted nuclear tests to gain political advantage and divert attention from the coalition's internal problems. How far is it true?

Vajpayee: This is an insinuation that our detractors are trying to propagate. India's national interests are paramount and the action we took was to safeguard them.

Q: Can you spell out the provisions of the CTBT which India is willing to consider? What are the amendments India requires in the CTBT for signing it?

Vajpayee: We have already declared a moratorium on testing and are willing to formalise this into an obligation through negotiations with key interlocutors. It would not be appropriate to say more at this stage.

Vajpayee cited India's security concerns, the continuing nuclear and missile proliferation in the region due to clandestine transfers, the international security environment and the unwillingness of nuclear weapon states to agree to total elimination of nuclear weapons within a stipulated time-frame.

The prime minister said the range and scope of economic sanctions was still unclear. ''But I have no doubt that all Indians would be equal partners in overcoming any difficulties that we may have to face to safeguard our national interests.''

Asked whether emissaries would be sent to major world capitals to explain the rationale behind the nuclear tests, the prime minister said it would be done if necessary. ''We are already in touch with important decision-takers and opinion-makers through various channels and our stand is being explained to them,'' he said.

Vajpayee made it clear that ''India does not pose a threat to Pakistan or to any other country.''

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report