Posted on 11/04/2004 6:34:33 AM PST by CarrotAndStick
New Delhi, November 4: Congratulating President George W Bush on his reelection, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said India and the US must deny any encouragement to religious extremism and terrorism and resolve to eliminate them as an acceptable instrument of state policy.
In a letter to Bush, he pledged India's full support to combat terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) to strengthen international peace and security.
Manmohan Singh also underlined the need for charting out an economic roadmap that would be an integral element of broader relationship between the two countries.
One major goal of the two countries' policies, the Prime Minister said, "must be to continue to deny any comfort or encouragement to religious extremism or terrorism, and resolve to ensure their complete elimination as an acceptable instrument of state policy.
"We are confident that the United States and India are on the same side in this effort".
Recalling his discussions with Bush in New York in September that focussed on the overriding priority of making the future more secure, Singh said "as partners against terrorism and WMD proliferation, we will stand by the United States in strengthening international peace and stability".
"The global war against terrorism and efforts to combat WMD proliferation will benefit enormously from your steadfast resolve and leadership", Singh said.
Singh also invited Bush to visit India, saying it would be a "milestone" in bilateral ties.
"A visit by you, Mr President, to India would be a milestone in our relations. I hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome you in India very soon", he said in a letter to Bush congratulating him on his reelection to White House.
"My good wishes as well as those of the government and the people of India are with you as you prepare to lead your great nation, drawing on a strong mandate, in the years ahead", the Prime Minister said.
You would think that the first invite would come from Canada, but you would be wrong.
Hope they are keeping the President realy safe, I worry about how close he gets to people. how they manage it.
Well that wouldn't be much of a problem given that it will be a joint operation by the Secret Service & the Special Protection Group(SPG,which protects Indian VVIPs) like when Clinton visited in 2000.Besides,if Bush should visit popular sites like the Taj Mahal or visit an Indian village or school,the whole area will be heavily sanitised atleast 2 weeks b4 he goes.Since Rajiv Gandhi's assasination in 1991,VVIP protection has got much tighter in India & has also benefitted with active cooperation with the Israelis.Most importantly,most average Indians don't mind Bush(India was one of the few countries where Bush was found to be as popular as Kerry if not more) -but if he goes to Pakistan(as Clinton did),it would be an entirely different story.Atleast 65-70% of the folks there admire OBL & even more hate Bush & there are plenty of extremist Muslim groups active in the country.
Manmohan Singh
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh
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