Vajpayee to meet Clinton in Sept

Vajpayee to meet Clinton in Sept
HARISH GUPTA

LISBON, JUNE 30: There was good news for the visiting Indian Prime Minister when he was in his Four Season Ritz Hotel room: President Bill Clinton sent a message through diplomatic channels that the two leaders could meet in Washington on September 16 over dinner. The haggling over the mutually suitable dates between the two sides has been on for some time now.

When asked, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told The Indian Express that he had indeed received such a communication. Since he would be attending the UN General Assembly around the same time in New York, he was keen for a meeting with the President around that time. ``But a final schedule is still being worked out,'' he said.

The Prime Minister, who was the chief guest at the banquet hosted by his Portuguese counter-part Antonia Guterres, said he was looking forward to the meeting with President Clinton to cement ties between the two countries and take it to new heights.

It was perhaps in this context that the Prime Minister observed during his talks with the European leaders that India was considering signing the CTBT and the Indian Parliament meeting in July may consider the issue.

But while returning, Vajpayee told journalists on board his special aircraft that the said consensus on CTBT was likely to be evolved by the end of this year. But he significantly added,``We hope to complete the process of consensus (on CTBT) by this year only.'' He also said the issue would be discussed during the coming monsoon session of the Parliament next month.

``We should have discussed CTBT by now. If there is a demand in the next session of Parliament for a discussion on CTBT, it will be held," he said.

The Prime Minister's two-nation tour was also aimed at creating global opinion in India's favour to get a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council. There is a proposal, as foreign secretary Lalit Mansingh briefed the journalists aboard the aircraft, to induct five new members in the Security Council. According to the proposal, one each would be taken from Asia, Latin America and Africa, and two would be inducted from developed countries. While Portugal openly lent support to India, Italy was guarded in its response.

There is a general consensus that USA will back India's case and it is for this reason that the PM's meeting with Clinton assumes significance.

Another important area where India will require global support is to persuade the UN to hold a global convention against terrorism at the UN General Assembly in September. There is no doubt that Pakistan is gradually getting isolated and convention on terrorism will pave the way for Pakistan's further isolation.