DATE=9/6/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDIA/UNITED STATES VISIT (L-O)
NUMBER=2-266180
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
INTRO: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is
preparing for a trip that is expected to consolidate
political ties with the United States. From New
Delhi, Anjana Pasricha reports the Indian leader
leaves Thursday for an 11-day visit to the United
States, where he is to attend the U-N Millennium
Summit.
TEXT: At the U-N Millennium Summit, Prime Minister
Vajpayee will join world leaders in addressing issues
such as development and poverty.
But Prime Minister Vajpayee is expected to concentrate
most attention on deflecting efforts by Pakistan to
seek international help for resolving the decades-old
dispute over Kashmir. Islamabad plans to highlight
the Kashmir issue at the U-N summit. Kashmir is
divided between India and Pakistan, and is regarded as
a dangerous nuclear flashpoint.
But policy-makers in India are focusing more attention
on the Prime Minister's visit to Washington after the
U-N summit. Next week, Mr. Vajpayee will meet with
President Clinton and address a joint session of the
U-S Congress during an official visit.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman says terrorism, regional
security, and economic issues will dominate talks
between the Indian and American leaders. Independent
Foreign policy analyst C. Rajamohan says Mr.
Vajpayee's visit will boost bilateral ties that began
to strengthen during President Clinton's trip to India
in March.
/// INSERT RAJAMOHAN ACT ///
The focus will be on bilateral relations - the
broad direction in which Indo-U.S. relations
must head in the coming century, the coming
millennium. But there will be other issues -
the question of India's strained relations with
Pakistan, the recent Indian initiative in
Kashmir as well as the nuclear issue will figure
fairly substantively in the talks between the
two leaders.
/// END ACT ///
The United States and India have differences on the
nuclear issue. Washington wants New Delhi to sign the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on nuclear weapons. It
has also been urging India to open talks with Pakistan
to resolve the Kashmir dispute.
Trade and business will be an important focus of Mr.
Vajpayee's visit. The Prime Minister is expected to
make a strong pitch for larger investments in India
during meeting with American business leaders. New
Delhi is looking for more funds in key areas such as
infrastructure, insurance and banking. In an effort
to woo American business, it announced opening the
telecommunications sector to foreign investors days
before the Prime Minister's departure. (SIGNED)
NEB/ANJANA/RAE
06-Sep-2000 08:34 AM EDT (06-Sep-2000 1234 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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