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Bush Looking Forward to India Trip

Aziz Haniffa
India Abroad Correspondent in Washington

President George W Bush said here Wednesday that while the dates were yet to be finalised, he was looking forward to his trip to India.

In his reply to the remarks of Ambassador Lalit Mansingh on the occasion of the presentation of his letter of credence, Bush said: "Several weeks ago Prime Minister (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee invited me to visit India. We have yet to settle on a suitable date but let me reiterate what I said then -- I am looking forward to the trip."

Bush said that "after years of estrangement, India and the United States together have surrendered to reality. They recognised an unavoidable fact -- they are destined to have a qualitatively different and better relationship than that in the past."

Talking of the Indian-American community's growing role in the US economy, Bush said: "They (the Indian-Americans) now number over 1 million and, by some estimates, are the most prosperous single ethnic group in this country."

Bush also pointed out that since he became President, "senior officials of our two countries have been in frequent contact, both to talk about tragedies like the January earthquake that struck India's Gujarat state and to exchange views on matters of international importance."

"As friends, I know that our two nations will not always agree. We will, however, always agree on the importance of talking openly and honestly about our differences and to work together for mutually agreeable solutions," he said.

Earlier, Mansingh, after presenting his credentials to Bush, said: "Washington is not new to me. I am fortunate to have served my government here earlier, when your illustrious father was the President."

Mansingh then went on to list the commonalities between India and the United States ranging from a shared commitment to democracy and to basic human freedoms, tolerance and pluralism.

"Anchored in these natural affinities, our ties have been enduring and have withstood the vicissitudes of historical evolution and political changes over several decades," he said.

Mansingh said the reciprocal visits by the then President Bill Clinton in March 2000 to India and Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee to the US in September of the same year "have provided new impulse to the broadening and deepening of our relations in the 21 century."

He said that "having been a fortunate witness to these historic events, my foremost task would be to work with your government to build upon these sound foundations and contribute towards the consolidation of a partnership that my prime minister has characterised as one between two natural allies."

While noting that globalisation has ushered in new opportunities, he said: "It has also brought us many challenges whose solutions require joint approaches." Mansingh said one such challenge was "the scourge of international terrorism," and noted that the setting up of the India-US Working Group on Counter-terrorism and forum for dialogue on Afghanistan are important steps in combating this menace."

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