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France qualified to remove N-curbs: PM
PMO to oversee clearance
French
Paris Diary
Musharraf wants movement on
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Crimes against race: Sikhs feel let down
Palestinians take over Gaza as Israel leaves
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France qualified to remove N-curbs: PM
Paris, September 12 Maintaining that France is “eminently qualified to play this role given its own personal experience,” Dr Singh emphasised that India’s conduct had been “irreproachable in non-proliferation matters. There is no risk that help given to the Indian nuclear programme could bring prejudice to whomsoever. India is a democracy that works well. Our political system offers sufficient guarantees ensuring that we keep our engagements,” the Prime Minister observed in an interview to the Left leaning highly respected Le Figaro newspaper. Dr Manmohan Singh recalled that during his visit to Washington in July, he had impressed upon the George Bush administration to remove the obstacles that impede India from developing its civil nuclear energy. In this context, he stressed that taking into account India’s strong growth, excessive dependence on petroleum product , imports will push petroleum to the heights. “This is why the international community must help India to develop a new source of non-polluting energy, which will help reduce the global demand for hydrocarbons and shall contribute to boost our economy, create employment and fight poverty.” Dr Manmohan Singh observed that restrictive regimes like those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group must be abandoned. “The US has promised to persuade other member countries of the NSG to help us develop our civil nuclear capability. I hope that France which has always supported us in our aspirations will play a
major role in order to help us.” The Prime Minister did not think that the privileged relations between India and the US stand the risk of prejudicing India-France relations. Dr Manmohan Singh expressed his conviction that there exists a large international consensus for India to become a
permanent member of the UN Security Council. On the Indo-Pak relations, the Prime Minister said that India wants pacific, friendly and good neighbourly relations. “The Indo-Pak diplomatic relations have been normalised. We are working to put in place other liaisons by road and rail.” Agreeing that many of the development programmes will not be attained because of the US seeking to reverse the UN Development Programme, Dr Manmohan Singh maintained that development cannot be simply imported. “Developing countries must mobilse themselves to promote their own resources. But the international environment must support the aspirations of developing countries. It must favour exchange of trade, investment, transfers of technology and also put into place an equitable regime
concerning the rights of intellectual property,” he said. |
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PMO to oversee clearance
French investment in India
Paris, September 12 Dr Singh and Mr Bush will be meeting for the second time in three months and it comes at a time when Washington has declared its intentions of cooperating with India in nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The new dimension this time is the coming together of the US, Britain and France to work out an arrangement where the restrictions imposed on India by the Nuclear Suppliers Group is overcome and India is made available nuclear reactors, fuel for its reactors and other high technology for generating clean and non-polluting energy for its burgeoning needs. A strong economic and commercial content has emerged after the talks between Dr Singh and French President Jacques Chirac here today when the Prime Minister assured French CEOs of according top priority to power and infrastructural projects by ensuring a single window clearance. This will be overseen by the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Singh’s Principal Secretary T K A Nair disclosed here this evening. French companies have expressed their keenness to invest in India in such diverse areas as power, railways, shipping, roads, retail sector and banking. The French CEOs acknowledged that they had found China a great rage and are disappointed that the returns on investment is not good. The Renault car company which has a unit in Nasik in Maharashtra has decided to produce right hand drive Logan vehicles for the export market. The French captains of industry described Dr Singh’s overview of the Indian economy was extremely wide ranging and dealt with precision. “You know the economy and business which has boosted France’s confidence in India’s future,” they told the Prime Minister. |
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Paris Diary
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began his official engagements on Monday in Paris with a meeting with ailing French President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace. Chirac left hospital only on Friday where he was admitted for a “small vascular accident” that impaired his vision. His doctors at the Val-de-Grace military hospital gave him a clean bill of health but advised him to refrain from air travel for the next six weeks.
An aide of Chirac stressed the French President’s visit to New York for the plenary of the United Nations General Assembly is now ruled out. This has prompted a round of public debate about whether Chirac would be fit
for run for a third term as President in 2007 and if not who would be his natural successor. It appeared likely that Chirac’s Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin would represent him at the United Nations. Villepin, a Chirac loyalist, and French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy are considered to be the most likely candidates if Chirac does not run again. Chirac told reporters on being discharged from hospital that he felt in “very good condition”. * * * * The French Chanel II had a brief reportage of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official visit to Paris and specifically touched upon India buying French Scorpene submarines for the Navy. The deal which has also been hanging fire for some time like the billion Dollar Airbus deal is now through. The deal for the supply of six Scorpene submarines to be supplied by France is for about Rs 15,000 crore. Thanks to the technology transfer arrangement, another six of the same class of submarines will be built at the Mazagon Docks in Mumbai. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash has drawn pointed attention to the urgency of submarines for the Indian navy to bolster India’s maritime security requirements along with several other priority issues like the acquisition of a Air Defence Ship (ADS). * * * * India is trying hard to explain that it has conveyed its stand in unambiguous terms to the Bush administration about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. New Delhi is against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and that Washington’s problems with Iran must be resolved through dialogue and not confrontation. The strong feeling in political circles is that singling out another country for special treatment as evidenced in Iraq is only going to compound problems and not lead to a solution. In any case there is no hard evidence to conclude that Iran is vigorously pursuing its nuclear ambitions. New Delhi also desires that Iran being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should strictly adhere to it. |
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Musharraf wants movement on Kashmir issue
New York, September 12 He will address the summit, to be attended by 175 heads of state at the UN Headquarters, on September 14. Dr Manmohan Singh will address the Assembly on September 15. President Musharraf said in his address to the American Jewish Congress, “I would like, in my own way, try to convey the ground reality and the need to move forward on the creation of a Palestinian state”.
— PTI |
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Crimes against race: Sikhs feel let down
London, September 12 It condemned a French law that bans wearing of “conspicuous” religious insignia in state schools, such as headscarves worn by Muslim women and turbans worn by Sikh men. “Also, increased security concerns since September 11 have unfairly affected Sikhs in many walks of life, from security-cleared airport workers to Sikh working in government
buildings.” — AFP |
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Palestinians take over Gaza as Israel leaves
Jerusalem, September 12 Palestinians danced, planted their national flags on the houses left behind by Israeli settlers, and fired celebratory shots in the air to mark the historic occasion, brought about by a unilateral withdrawal announced by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last year. Youths set afire several of the synagogues still standing in the area, which had witnessed violence and bloodshed for long, as Palestinian policemen, who started moving into the area late last night, watched helplessly. The last Israeli soldier left the Kissufim settlement in the Gaza Strip at around 6.50 AM (0920 IST), drawing curtains on four decades of violent occupation of the Palestinian territory. Israel’s Gaza Divisional Commander Gen Avi Kochavi was the last person to leave the settlement. He later said an era had come to an end with the withdrawal of the Israeli forces. Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, who was in the Gaza Strip to witness the historic moment, was ecstatic and said “this is a day of happiness and joy that the Palestinian people have not witnessed for a century.” The departure of the troops, which took place under cover of darkness, was quiet unlike the chaotic evacuation of Jewish settlers, who resisted Israeli security men with full force, last month. In a landmark vote, the Israeli Cabinet had yesterday unanimously approved the withdrawal of its troops from the Gaza Strip. It also gave a nod to pullout of troops from the Philadelphi route, along the |
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