[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 9 (Monday, March 6, 2006)]
[Pages 348-350]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Doordarshan of India

February 24, 2006

India-U.S. Relations

    Q. Well, Mr. President, how is your strategy partnership with India 
is going to shape up during the forthcoming visit?
    The President. Well, first of all, our strategic partnership had a 
great start, or a great impetus, when your Prime Minister came to visit 
here in Washington. We had a wonderful visit. And one of the important 
things about diplomacy is to get to know your counterpart. And I got to 
know the Prime Minister and admire him as really a decent fellow who is 
smart and capable.
    And this visit will help foster not only the personal relationship, 
though, but a strategic partnership that is growing all the time. And 
it's one that is very important for the American people, and I think, 
the people of India. This relationship between the United States and 
India can produce good results for our people but also will enable us to 
achieve some international objectives as well.

Civilian Nuclear Power Program in India

    Q. Well, in the context of excellent bilateral relations, which you 
have just mentioned, I think, what's your take on the civilian nuclear 
program?
    The President. Well, it's a tough issue. It's a tough issue for the 
Prime Minister; I understand that, and it's a tough issue for me. I knew 
it was going to be a hard issue, because we have to convince--both of us 
have to convince our respective people it's in the interest to have a 
civilian nuclear program supported by the United States and India, as 
well as a civilian nuclear program

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that's separate from a military program in India.
    And I understood the politics was going to be difficult, and there's 
still work to be done. We've just got to continue to come up with an 
agreement that both of us can live with. But the relationship is broader 
than just the civilian nuclear issue. I've told the American people, we 
want India to develop a civilian nuclear power program. We're all, kind 
of, connected globally, particularly when it comes to the price of 
energy. And the more nuclear power used by great emerging democracies 
and economies like India, the better off we'll all be.
    Q. Well, there's an impression, as reflected in the U.S. media, that 
you are surrendering your interests while proposing to supply civilian 
nuclear technology to India. What do you tell them?
    The President. Well, I tell them it's in the interests of the world 
that India have a nuclear power industry. On the other hand, it's also 
very important for India to understand our concerns about making sure 
that there's a--that a civilian program is separate from the military, 
and there's the IAEA safeguards. And again, we're breaking some new 
ground. I'm not surprised that it's difficult to reach a consensus. And 
we'll keep trying and working at it.
    The key thing is, though, that the people of India understand that 
our relationship is a vital relationship. And it's vital on a variety of 
fronts. It's vital when it comes to commerce and trade and prosperity; 
it's vital on fighting the war on terror. I mean, the people of India 
know what terror is all about--you've been hit before. And it's vital on 
working together to achieve a more peaceful world. And so I'm really 
looking forward to this trip. It's going to be exciting for us.

War on Terror

    Q. I think the--terrorism is one area--a joint working group has 
been working excellently, even before the unfortunate incident of 9/11, 
between India and U.S. But the terrorist training camps and training 
infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has not been totally 
dismantled. How about a--and from the Pak-Afghan border, sir, also, 
troops are being--your troops are being targeted. So how----
    The President. Well, listen, I understand the war on terror is 
universal, and it's very important for all of us to work together to 
stop the advance and the goals of these terrorists. And you bring up 
Pakistan--it's an interesting moment in our relationships with each 
other. It used to be that if America were close to Pakistan, then the 
Indian Government----
    Q. Yes, that zero-sum game, that is over.
    The President. It was zero-sum. And now I think President Musharraf 
understands that it's important for me to have a good relationship with 
India and vice versa. Prime Minister Singh understands. And we do have a 
good relationship with both. But on my trip to Pakistan, I will of 
course talk about the terrorist activities, the need to dismantle 
terrorist training camps, and to protect innocent life, because one of 
the real dangers of the terrorist movement is that they'll kill innocent 
people to achieve an objective. And India and President Musharraf, as 
well as our country, cares deeply about innocent life. We respect human 
life.

Trade With India

    Q. Now about trade and commerce, which we are mentioning. Well, in 
your Asia Society speech--I attended; I heard it, was a spectacular 
speech you made.
    The President. Thank you.
    Q. So you talked about this Indian middle class, the 300 million, 
which is bigger than U.S.
    The President. It is.
    Q. Growing, emerging market and all that. But still India right now 
contributes only 1.3 percent of your global export.
    The President. Right.
    Q. So what's the roadmap?
    The President. Well, the roadmap is to continue to work for 
openness, opening markets on both sides. Listen, trade, again, this is 
an issue that takes time to develop. Our relationship is a growing 
relationship, and we're constantly addressing needs to make sure that 
markets are open. We are going to have a business CEO forum with India 
CEOs and American CEOs that will brief us on what more we can do 
together.

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    And we're democracies. I mean, India is a great democracy. And 
democracies, there's constant pressure against certain advances. People 
have their opinion, and people are allowed to express their opinion. And 
opening markets is difficult. It's difficult for a lot of countries, and 
it's not easy for America, either. But the purpose of the trip is to 
continue to work to open up markets, because opening markets and free 
trade that's fair trade will benefit workers and families on both sides 
of the trading equation.

India-U.S. Relations

    Q. Well, military-to-military relationship is again another success 
story, new heights. It is every day it is reaching new heights.
    The President. Yes.
    Q. Marrying of technologies and understanding each other--and what 
about the same kind of cooperation in the field of defense industry?
    The President. In what now?
    Q. In defense industry, joint production with India, America, 
technology transfer.
    The President. Well, as you know, there's a lot of technology 
transfer. And I quoted the example of Texas Instruments having a plant 
in India's silicon valley, a research center, and that's a classic case 
of technological transfer. Knowledge is technology, is the advancement 
of technology. And listen, this country has greatly benefited by Indian 
Americans, and Indians that have--with advanced degrees and degrees that 
have--unbelievably smart--engineering and different aspects of science 
and technology. And we welcome the presence of Indian students here in 
America, as well as the great contribution of our Indian Americans.
    But technology transfers oftentimes require knowledge transfers, and 
one of the things about the relationship that has emerged is the fact 
there's a lot of knowledge transfer between private sectors and through 
research institutions, and that's positive.

President's Upcoming Visit to India

    Q. Well, the last question. This is your first visit to India.
    The President. It is.
    Q. While preparing to visit India and political negotiations, have 
you discussed with Mrs. Bush how to negotiate hot Indian curry? 
[Laughter]
    The President. Well, I'm going to have to--I'll have to try that on. 
I'll tell you afterwards. My one regret is that I'm not going to go see 
the Taj Mahal. And that's not the fault of the Indian Government; that's 
the fault of the George W. Bush schedulers. And obviously, it goes to 
show sometimes the President doesn't get all his wishes.
    But I am really looking forward to going to the country. I am 
looking forward to meeting members of the Government. I'm looking 
forward to having private time with the Prime Minister. And I know Laura 
joins me in telling the Indian people, thanks for friendship, and we 
can't wait to come to your country.
    Q. Thank you very much. And welcome to India, you and Mrs. Bush. And 
I think there will be many more visits after this.
    The President. I hope so. Thank you, sir.

Note: The interview was taped at 11:18 a.m. in the Map Room at the White 
House for later broadcast and was embargoed by the Office of the Press 
Secretary until 9:00 p.m. In his remarks, the President referred to 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India; and President Pervez Musharraf 
of Pakistan. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
this interview. This item was not received in time for publication in 
the appropriate issue.