The reported controversial remarks of President Pranab Mukherjee on Bofors issue to a Swedish daily have no bearing on his upcoming tour of Sweden, the first State visit, beginning on May 31, External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi on Thursday.
At a media briefing on the upcoming visit of the President to Sweden and Belarus, Navtej Sarna, Secretary (West) in MEA, shot down in a diplomatic style the questions on Mukherjee's reported remarks that Bofors was a "media trial".
"The status, I have just been, for the last 20 minutes, telling you. But I am happy to repeat it full 20 minutes if you like. We are keenly looking forward to the first-ever President of India visit to Sweden and Belarus," Sarna said.
He was responding to questions whether the interview had cast any shadow on Mukherjee's visit to Sweden.
President's Press Secretary Venu Rajamony added "it is evident to you the preparations are fully underway for the visit of President to Sweden and Belarus."
Reporters again put questions on the interview given by the President to Swedish Daily 'Dagens Nyhetter' and in response Sarna said, "Let me just do it once and I am not taking any more questions on this. This subject (interview) is not relevant to the visit of the President to Sweden and Belarus. So let us concentrate on what the visit is about.
"We are here to talk to you about the visit. And we are happy to talk to you about the visit at any length that you like."
It was pointed out by reporters that India's Ambassador to Sweden Banashri Bose Harrison had reportedly threatened the Swedish daily that if it published off-record conversation, it may put to risk the forthcoming visit to the President.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup immediately said, "no such threat had been made".
Mukherjee's remarks on Bofors issue to the Swedish daily sparked off a controversy and India protested to the newspaper for reporting a "slip of tongue" and off-record comments made by the President.
During the interview, ahead of his visit to Sweden next week, Mukherjee had said the Bofors wasn't a scandal, but rather a publicity "trial".
Allegations that kickbacks were paid in the procurement of 155mm howitzer field Bofors guns from Sweden had plagued the Rajiv Gandhi government in the late 1980s and had become a big election issue in 1989 in which the former prime minister had to face defeat.
Mukherjee will be undertaking a five-day visit to Sweden and Belarus from May 31.
"The visit (to Sweden) is on. It's been on all the time and its going to go on... There has been no change in that decision. There has been no change in that planning and I will request you to see the main focus of the visit and to keep your eye on the main focus and not on trivia," Sarna said.
In reply to a question whether the President would be visiting BAE Systems, a company which took over Bofors that had been blacklisted by India, Sarna said "There is no plan of the President to visit any of the factories."
Asked whether defence cooperation between India and the two countries -- Sweden and Belarus -- was high on agenda, the official replied "naturally there will be a discussion on all aspects of 'Make in India'.
And defence is one area of possible cooperation with several countries under the Make in India regime and after the FDI base line have been changed. So I am certain there would be discussions."
At the same time, he said, "But it is not a defence-related visit. It is an overall visit of the President in which broad discussions on possible cooperation on several areas whether it is smart cities, renewable energy, defence, environmental issues regional issues climate change. All these would be discussed. So as part of it generally there would be a discussion."
The President will be accompanied by Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Hans Raj Ahir, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and BJP MP Ashwani Kumar besides Vice Chancellors of seven Universities.
A 60-member delegation from business community will be flying to Sweden and Belarus separately and join the President's delegation for promoting 'Make in India' campaign and look for investments from these countries.
This is the first State visit to the two countries during which the President will also be visiting a smart city in Sweden besides holding talks with his counterpart King Carl Gustaf XVI, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Liven and the Leader of Opposition Anna Kornberg Betray.
The President will interact with members of Indian community which includes 18,000 People of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizens of India card holders and Indian
Passport holders working in hospitality industry and IT sector.
Mukherjee would be visiting Karolinska Institute and Uppsala University, the oldest university in Europe which was started in 1477.
Sweden is the third largest contributor of Foreign Direct Investments to India besides being country's third largest trade partner after China and Japan.
"At the moment there is fortuitous and very potentially fruitful matching of the economic requirements of India in terms of several programmes that have been launched by the government whether you see Make in India, skill development, Swachh Bharat, digital India and the smart city urbanisation programme," Sarna said.
The MEA Secretary said a number of agreements were likely to be signed at the government level and at the educational institutions level and at the business level during the visit.
About the visit to Belarus beginning June two, which also is the first State visit, Sarna said the President along with his counterpart Alexander Lukashenko will jointly address a business conference.
During his visit, the President will be unveiling statue of Mahatma Gandhi and inaugurating a refurbished power project for which the work has been done by BHEL.
There would be also agreements in field of SEBI and Ministry of Finance, Bureau of Indian Standards as well as information between Prasar Bharti and national state televisions, he said.
Belarus, which is being considered as assembly line for heavy vehicles, continues to maintain its tradition after the breaking up of USSR.
