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Josy Joseph in New Delhi
The new US ambassador to India, Robert D Blackwill, said on Monday that the American administration seeks to 'intensify collaboration with India on the whole range of issues that currently confront the international community'.
In an elaborate and frank speech, first after officially taking over his new responsibilities, running into over 11 typed pages, he spoke about the important aspects of Bush administration's policy on strategic, economic, political and other arenas.
Blackwill said, "President George Bush has a global approach to US-India relations, consistent with the rise of India as a world power."
He also referred to various aspects of bilateral relation between India and US.
He said, "There are questions about the role of US in the new world order, and President Bush is answering those questions through a distinctly American internationalism."
He did not agree with the concept of a 'unipolar' world and said, "The word (unipolar) not only jars the ears, but also deeply misrepresents the actual dynamics of our age."
He dismissed notions of America being the super power - 'unipolar internationalist system'-- and said that no nation 'can promote its values and advance its interests without the help of allies and friends'.
Blackwill drew the attention of the crowd to the 'immutable interrelationship in the current era between security issues and international economics'.
He said, "Although in my view the classic concept of balance of power still matters a great deal in current circumstances, leaders, people and nations increasingly understand that their future will be decisively defined by the economic choices they make, including in the international arena."
He said, "Bush has approached his foreign policy the same way that the captain of a cricket team approaches an international Test match."
"This President is not interested in limited overs. Instead, he has fielded a skilled and deeply experienced team that is ready for more than one day matches," he said.
He said that there are two basic principles that guide Bush in his game -- the primacy of values, and the emphasis on sustained collaboration with allies and friends.
The new ambassador said, "The primacy of values remains the bedrock of America's policies overseas. Americans feel a strong solidarity with all these democratic nations."
He pointed out Bush administration's attempt at creating coalitions in various fields.
Admitting that one single nation in the world cannot counter all the threats that it faces, he said America is looking at building coalitions with like-minded nations in a variety of fields.
"We are cooperating with like-minded nations in the area of diplomacy, intelligence sharing and law enforcement. Together, we can identify terrorist groups; prevent acts of terrorism before they occur; and react effectively against acts of terrorism if they happen," he said.
He pointed out that the department of defense has identified Asia as an 'absolutely critical' region for 'my country's future'.
"Asia hosts some of the world's most dynamic economies and best markets for American products. It also exhibits many of the most hopeful trends in democratic governance. However, Asia still contains one dangerous legacy from the Cold War -- the threat North Korea poses to South Korea and the region," the ambassador said.
"It is also home to the continuing tension between China and Taiwan, and between India and Pakistan," he added.
"In all these areas, the United States actively seeks the most sensitive outcomes, even though our ability to influence events varies widely," he said.
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