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Gates Briefs Singh On U.S.' Afghanistan-Pakistan Policy 77 days ago
(RTTNews) - Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the broader contours of the new Afghanistan-Pakistan policy of the Obama administration when he met the Indian premier, who is on a four-day visit to the country.
During the 30-minute meeting, Gates appreciated India's contribution to the development of Afghanistan and said the U.S. was committed to its long term presence in the war-ravaged land-locked southwest Asian country. However, it would be gradually reducing its military component and enhancing its civilian presence there, he added.
The two leaders also discussed the bilateral defense and strategic relationship besides counter-terrorism as also stepping up cooperation to fight against terrorism.
The United States considers India as an important partner in Afghanistan where New Delhi has been engaged in a number of reconstruction projects.
Singh, on his part, said India had been working with Gates in the previous Bush administration and looked forward to working with him in the Obama administration too. He spoke about the strengthening of India-U.S. relationship and how it was important for regional and global stability.
Separately, Singh told Washington's top policy heads at the Center for Foreign Relations that India has enduring civilizational links with Afghanistan and New Delhi will continue to assist Kabul in building its institutions and its human resources.
The Indian Prime Minister's remarks were clearly meant for President Obama and his principals that New Delhi will continue to play an important role in Afghanistan's reconstruction despite Pakistan's misgiving on India's growing influence there.
Singh offered similar advice in an earlier address to U.S. and Indian business leaders that the international community needs to remain engaged in Afghanistan and any "premature talk of exit will only embolden the terrorists."
The Prime Minister's meeting with Gates and his bold statement assumes significance as it comes hours before a Situation Room meeting by President Obama to discuss his administration's strategy on the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
Just days ahead of the first anniversary of the Mumbai carnage, Singh also sent a clear message to regional experts keen to see India talking to Pakistan, saying "for that to happen Pakistan must make a break with the past, abjure terrorism and come to the table with good faith and sincerity."
He said India was ready to "pick up the threads of the dialogue with Pakistan including on issues related to Jammu and Kashmir."
"We should not harbor any illusions that a selective approach to terrorism , tackling it on one place while ignoring it in others, will work," Singh added, apparently referring to
Pakistan's ongoing operations against the Taliban in its western parts bordering Afghanistan while providing covert support to anti-India Islamist terror groups like the Lashker-e-Toiba(LeT) in its eastern borders.
Singh also said there is no question of New Delhi redrawing the international boundary that separates Indian Kashmir and Pakistan Kashmir. He said India and Pakistan can work together to ensure that peace is maintained, that trade is made free and ensure that encouragement is given for more people-to-people contact.
While steering clear of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Singh welcomed talks on fissile material cut-off treaty, but indicated India would not be overawed or intimidated by the
Obama administration's non-proliferation initiatives.
Reiterating New Delhi's stand in the climate change talks, Singh said India will not compromise the right of developing countries to develop and lift their populations out of
property, but "we will do more if there is global support in terms of financial resources and technology transfer."
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