DATE=3/6/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDIA / CLINTON (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259868
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
Intro: Senior American officials in New Delhi say
President Clinton's upcoming visit to India will focus
on developing what they call "an enhanced
relationship" between the two countries. From New
Delhi, Anjana Pasricha has details.
Text: The U-S ambassador to India, Richard Celeste,
describes President Clinton's visit to India later
this month as the "long overdue engagement" of an
American President with India.
Ambassador Celeste says issues of nuclear non-
proliferation in South Asia and the hostile relations
between India and Pakistan will be discussed during
the visit. But he says the challenge is to take the
relationship beyond these two issues that have
troubled Indo-U-S relations for decades.
/// CELESTE ACT ///
The purpose of the visit is to broaden our
engagement, to underscore the range of interests
we share, and to move forward wherever we can,
and I suspect there is some feeling that as we
do that it can help create space for
constructive activity in these other areas over
time.
/// END CELESTE ACT ///
Indian officials, in their comments on President
Clinton's visit, have also expressed the hope that
Kashmir and nuclear non-proliferation will not
dominate the visit. The United States has been urging
India and Pakistan to hold talks to solve their
dispute over Kashmir. On nuclear issues, it wants New
Delhi to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Political analysts in New Delhi say India will be
unhappy if President Clinton visits Pakistan. On the
other hand, Islamabad will be upset at being left out
of the tour. Although Washington has not committed so
far to a visit to Pakistan, Ambassador Celeste said
a decision on whether the president will visit
there is likely to be taken soon. U-S officials
have made clear that they want Islamabad's rulers
to restore democratic government and to crack
down on terrorism.
In addition to New Delhi, President Clinton will visit
India's commercial capital, Mumbai, and the high-
technology city of Hyderabad. The trip will also
include stopovers at the popular tourist cities of
Agra and Jaipur. Ambassador Celeste says the
president is likely to be accompanied by as many as
six cabinet ministers, including Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright. (Signed)
NEB/AP
06-Mar-2000 08:42 AM EDT (06-Mar-2000 1342 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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