Clinton says goodbye Atal with lavish banquet

Clinton says goodbye Atal with lavish banquet
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Washington, Sept 18: US President Bill Clinton threw for Prime Minister Vajpayee the largest ever banquet of his presidency to a single visiting dignitary, saying the Indian leader and he have built the "the strongest and most mature partnership" the two countries ever have known.

Raising a toast for Vajpayee, the President said "we have built the strongest, the most mature partnership that India and America have ever known. Its success will be our success together. India and America can change the world."

Clinton emphasised the need for closer cooperation between the two countries to fight the menace of terrorism, drug trafficking and poverty.

The lavish banquet was hosted on the lawns of the White House under a special tent equipped to host 700 guests that included stars of screen, sports and the internet revolution. Only a NATO summit dinner for 19 heads of state was larger.

The banquet was attended among others by actress Goldie Hawn, model and activist Christie Drinkley, scores of government officials from both US and India and supporters of the President and First Lady Hillary Clinton.

The guests lists was dominated by Indian-Americans from all walks of life including IT giant Sabir Bhatia, NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla, former tennis star Vijay Amritraj.

Responding to the toast, Vajpayee said it was a tribute to Clinton that "the manner in which we approach each other is being fundamentally tranformed. This year, our two nations reached out to each other as never before.

"We have, I believe, created a framework of dialogue and engagement that will stand the test of time," Vajpayee said.

Saying that the two great democracies have come closer, the Prime Minister maintained that the new ties were reflected in the close and abiding friendship between the two peoples and in the vision of the new relationship.

Emphasising that the two countries are sensitive to each other's problems, Clinton said if India and America join hands they would find a way to steer together problems of terrorism, drug trafficking, economic turmoil, infectious diseases and deadly military technology.

"The two countries have also too painfully seen terrorists, drug traffickers and criminals taking advantage of the openness of their societies and borders.

"However, a quite simple lesson of all this is that if India and America are together in the same boat, they will find a way to stay together. They have to overcome some fears in both countries, sometimes for different historical reasons. That is why he is gratified that with the leadership Vajpayee has shown in this matter we have built the strongest and most mature partnership India and America have ever known," Clinton said.