rediff.com: US promises to help India in Sierra Leone

The United States has assured India that it would take up with the concerned authorities the issue of securing the safety of Indian peacekeepers in strife torn Sierra Lone even as New Delhi sought "greater clarity" and "co-operation" to ensure their well being.

External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh told newsmen that this assurance was given by the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright during their hour-long meeting on the sidelines of an inter-governmental conference on "democratic governance," here last night.

Singh said the "difficult and complex" situation faced by the Indian peacekeepers in Sierra Leone figured prominently in the meeting held at the Sheraton Hotel.

"The Secretary of State was fully supportive and very understanding of our concerns (over the safety of the Indian peacekeepers) and promised to discuss the same with the concerned officials," Singh said.

Indian officials said Albright made it clear that there was a need to ensure the safety of Indian peacekeepers.

The safety of the Indian peacekeepers in the African country is also expected to figure during the planned meeting between Singh and the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan here later today.

Issues relating to non-proliferation and disarmament also figured along with bilateral and regional matters at the meeting between Singh and Albright convened mainly for discussions on the planned visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the US sometime in September this year.

On nuclear non-proliferation, Singh outlined the Indian position on how the government had an "obligation" to obtain "political consensus" over the issue.

Albright was also told that India "will be moving towards it (achieving national consensus) now."

The disarmament issue came up when Albright emphasised the importance attached by Washington to non-proliferation matters.

On Indo-US relations, Indian officials said Albright renewed US President Bill Clinton's invitation to Vajpayee to visit the US and informed Singh how Clinton wanted to "personally reciprocate" the warmth he got during his five-day visit to India in March.

A second meeting between Singh and Albright is not ruled out during the next month's meeting of the Asian Regional Forum in Bangkok.

Noting that parleys with Singh was the only bilateral meeting Albright had during her three-day stay in Warsaw, Indian officials said there was a clear intention on both sides in maintaining the momentum in strengthening Indo-US relations which was built during Clinton's visit.

Singh said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir figured at the meeting during a general talk on regional issues and asserted there was no particular focus on Kashmir issue.

Indian officials said the Sri Lankan situation too figured in the talks and both India and the US reaffirmed their support for the territorial integrity of the island nation.

Singh referred to India's readiness to offer humanitarian assistance to the troubled parts of the country.

The Indian delegation comprised Ambassador to the US, Naresh Chandra, Ambassador to Poland Nalin Surie and joint secretary (Americas) in the External Affairs Ministry Alok Prasad.

US Assistant Secretary of State (South Asia) Karl Inderfurth and Secretary of State's spokesman Richard Boucher were part of Albright's delegation.

Singh described the meeting as "very positive and productive" and referred to the steps being taken by the two governments to implement in letter and spirit the "vision statement" signed during Clinton's visit.

Replying to questions, Chandra said the idea behind the meeting was to work on steps that the two sides could take to report "something substantive" during the planned Indo-US summit in September this year.

Indian officials also spoke about the "excellent rapport" between Singh and Albright helping in creating a warm atmosphere during their talks.

Albright and Singh, who are interacting closely as members of the seven-member convening group of the Warsaw Conference, were seated next to each other at the head table of Polish President at a dinner hosted for foreign ministers of over 100 countries here last night.


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