13 November 2001
Prime Minister
First of all can I extend a very great welcome to Prime Minister Vajpayee of India and to say how pleased we are, Sir, to see you here with us today, and how much I have enjoyed the very constructive and detailed discussions we have had on the current international situation. And I should say, before I turn to that, as you will know we have literally just heard reports of an aeroplane that has gone down in New York. We simply don’t know any more details than that at the present time. All I would like to say at this juncture is of course is that our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with the American people at this time. And I don’t think it is sensible, certainly for us on the basis of the information we have, to speculate any further.
We obviously discussed the international situation. The conflict in Afghanistan, where it does appear that there are very significant gains that have been made now by the Northern Alliance and by the international coalition. It is important, as we both agreed, that we maintain the strongest possible coalition in the fight against international terrorism in all its forms, and I would like to pay tribute to the Indian government for the strength of their role in this international coalition which has been greatly appreciated by everybody.
The second thing to say is that insofar as our own relations are concerned- in respect of Britain and India- I like to believe that they are stronger today than they have been for many, many years. And I welcome that enormously. I welcome it for all sorts of reasons of the strong ties between our two countries, but I also welcome it because increasingly we see India playing its true and right role on the world stage, and that is important, I think, for the stability and security of the whole of the world community. And I know that our trade and commercial relations are very strong at the present time, but I like to think that our political relations are strong also. And so far as I am concerned, and I know and believe that this is shared by the Indian Prime Minister, we want to see those relations strengthened still further. As the Prime Minister reminded me when I was in India a short time ago in a visit that only lasted a few hours, that was not a substitute for a proper time to come and visit India and see people, and we are making arrangements for that to happen very early in the New Year.
So can I once again, Prime Minister, welcome you here to Downing Street and to say how pleased we are to have you here. And yet again thank you for your support and your strength and leadership at this time.
Mr Vajpayee
Thank you Mr Prime Minister.
I was happy to be able to continue our discussions from last month in Delhi. Relations between our two countries have a strength and vitality of their own. Therefore the more often we meet the better it is. As always, our discussions today have been cordial and useful. We have similar, or identical, views on a number of international issues. Our trade turnover of about £5 billion supports our political relations……There are about 1.5 million people of Indian origin in this country who are also an asset to our political relationship. Recent events have reinforced some areas of our co-operation. We have a continued dialogue on counter-terrorism. In February this year the UK became the first country to ban six terrorist groups which have caused much death and destruction in India. I also welcome the additional measures which have been taken and those that our being contemplated that will strengthen the regime against international terrorism. I will be meeting the Home Secretary later this afternoon.
The ongoing fight against terrorism provided an important context for our discussions today. Both our countries have been familiar with the ugly face of terrorism for long before
11 September. We have to go beyond Al-Qu’eda in our global war against terrorism and target all its sponsors who finance, train, equip and harbour terrorists. In Afghanistan we talked about the urgency of putting a post-conflict political structure in place before the military campaign ends. A political vacuum can only worsen matters in that country. We should work quickly together with other interested parties on arrangements for a post-Taliban administration and for reconstruction of the country.
Mr Prime Minister, I thank you for the warm and gracious welcome that you and the Labour Government have extended to my delegation and me. I look forward to receiving you and Mrs Blair in Delhi for a full-fledged official meeting. Thank you.
Question
Prime Minister, the news of this plane crash in the United States, which I accept you know very little about at this stage, but also the Government’s declaration in effect of a state of emergency to justify and removing the Human Rights Act, will once again remind people of the dangers of terrorism, at home and in the United States. How great a danger do you believe there is at the moment of repeated terrorist attacks?
Prime Minister
Well, I really don’t want to comment further on the events we have just heard about in New York because I simply don’t know, and therefore it would be wrong to take the remarks I am going to make in that connection. But the fact is that we know that these terrorists would strike again if they possibly could and they have no compunction about taking innocent human lives, they deliberately set out to do so, and therefore we have got to remain vigilant and we have got to make sure that our laws and processes give us the ability to deal with the threat against the liberty of our own citizens. As I say, I make those remarks without reference to this most recent tragedy because I simply know more than you do at the present time.
Question
Prime Minister, would it require another 11 September attack or especially a 1 October attack for the world to focus its attention on terrorism in Kashmir.
Prime Minister
I think I can assure you that people are very well aware of the fact that acts of carnage involving innocent civilians are wrong wherever they happen in the world, including the terrible events in Srinigar which were strongly condemned by everybody at the time and I repeat that condemnation now. As the Prime Minister mentioned a moment or two ago, we have almost one and a half million people in this country of Indian origin. We have many, many people from the whole of that part of the world in this country. We are therefore well aware of the tensions and difficulties that there are. We want to see those calmed as much as possible, but it cannot ever be right that people pursue their cause by the slaughter of innocent civilians.
Question
How far should the present advance by the Northern Alliance go? Should it go into Kabul? And also, is there any agreement between the two of you on whether the post-Taliban Government could include so-called Taliban light or moderate Taliban. Is there indeed such a thing as moderate Taliban that you could work with politically once the current regime is gone?
Prime Minister
Well, first of all in respect of Kabul, as I think people who have been speaking for the Northern Alliance have made clear, it is not their intention to do that. And you have heard already the remarks both of our own spokesman and the American spokesman on that issue so far as we are concerned. And in respect of whatever regime follows that of the present Taliban regime, it has to be a regime that is broad-based that brings together all the various parts of the country and I don’t think anyone wants to see a replication of that present Taliban regime. Now what is vital however is that now that this is with Mr Brahimi, on behalf of the United Nations to try and co-ordinate these efforts, we give him every facility and chance to get on with that job. It is very important.
Question
A question to both of you. How much of a stumbling block has it been, India’s contention that Pakistan is a state-sponsor of terrorism. How much has that actually come between you in these talks?
Prime Minister
I don’t think that anybody has changed their positions on this issue. I don’t want simply to repeat to you the language that we used on many, many occasions. And as I said to one of your colleagues a moment or two ago, it can never be right to pursue any cause by acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. India has its very strong, and firmly held view, about the situation in Kashmir, and the Indian Prime Minister is perfectly capable of speaking on that for himself. All I say about this is that the British Government’s position has not changed. All we wish to see is the tensions in the area reduced.
Question
And Prime Minister Vajpayee, do you feel let down by statements such as that which have been historic, after all.
Mr Vajpayee
Such incidents do take place, but they are to be prevented and there is unanimity on the question that terrorism should not be encouraged for any purpose.
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