[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 9 (Monday, March 6, 2006)]
[Pages 375-380]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of 
India and an Exchange With Reporters in New Delhi

March 2, 2006

    Prime Minister Singh. Shall I start?
    President Bush. Please.
    Prime Minister Singh. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the 
press: President Bush and I have completed very cordial and productive 
discussions this morning. We reviewed the status of our cooperation, 
including the agenda that was set on July 18, 2005. The joint statement 
that will be shared with all of you today contains a number of 
announcements and initiatives that underline the significant progress in 
our relationship.
    Many of the areas that our cooperation now covers are essential to 
India's national development. They include energy, agriculture, science 
and technology, trade and investment, high technology, health, and a 
clean environment. This is a highly ambitious agenda, one that is 
befitting our growing strategic partnership. When implemented, they will 
make a real difference to the lives of our people.
    The President and I had an opportunity to review the global 
situation in our talks. As you're all aware, India and the United States 
are working together increasingly on global issues. This is not just 
good for our two countries but also benefits the international 
community, as we can complement each others' capabilities and share 
responsibilities. President Bush is admired for his strong position on 
terrorism. And I was particularly pleased that we agreed on the need to 
root out terrorism, of which India has been a major victim.
    I'm particularly pleased that we have reached an understanding on 
the implementation of our agreement on civil nuclear cooperation of July 
18, 2005. I have conveyed to the President that India has finalized the

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identification of civilian facilities to which we had committed. I was 
also happy to hear from the President that he now intended to approach 
the U.S. Congress to amend U.S. laws and the Nuclear Supplier Group to 
adjust its guideline. We will discuss with the International Atomic 
Energy Agency in regard to fashioning an appropriate India-specific 
safeguards agreement. You will appreciate I cannot say more now, while 
our Parliament is in session.
    Before concluding, I would like to express my warm appreciation for 
the personal interest shown and the leadership role that President Bush 
has played in the transformation of our ties. I have met the President a 
number of times, and on each occasion, I have admired his vision, his 
resolve, and his commitment to strengthening our bilateral relations. 
Our discussion today make me confident that there are no limits to the 
Indo-U.S. partnerships.
    May I invite you, Mr. President, now to make your remarks.
    President Bush. Mr. Prime Minister, thank you very much. It's a joy 
to be here. Laura and I are really thankful for your hospitality, and I 
appreciate the lengthy and constructive dialog we just had on a wide 
range of issues. I particularly thank the CEOs from both the United 
States and India who have worked hard to help develop a way forward to 
make sure our relationship is constructive and long-lasting.
    India and America have built a strategic partnership based upon 
common values. Our two democracies respect religious pluralism and the 
rule of law. We seek to foster economic development through trade and 
advancing the entrepreneurial spirit in both countries.
    We're working as partners to make the world safer. India and America 
both suffered from terrorist attacks on our home soil. Terrorists 
attacked New Delhi. We're sharing information to protect each other. We 
have a common desire to enhance the security of our peoples. We're 
cooperating on the military front. We worked as partners in responding 
to the tsunami. I was struck, and so were the American people, that the 
Indian Air Force delivered Hurricane Katrina aid to an Air Force base in 
Little Rock, Arkansas. And for that, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you.
    We are committed to promoting democracy worldwide. We are leaders in 
the United Nations Democracy Fund, which provides grants to help young 
democracies develop civil institutions in a free society. I particularly 
want to thank the Indian people and the Indian Government for supporting 
the new democracy in the neighborhood, and that being the democracy in 
Afghanistan, where you've pledged 565 million in reconstruction aid, 
plus 50 million for the new national assembly building.
    On Burma, we agree on the deplorable state of human rights in Burma, 
and all nations to seek the release of Aung San Su Kyi. In Nepal, we 
agreed that the Maoists should abandon violence, and that the King 
should reach out to the political parties to restore democratic 
institutions. In other words, our discussions are more than just 
friendly handshakes. We discuss important international relations. We're 
partners in peace. And that's in the interests of our own people, as 
well as the interests of people around the world.
    On trade and investment, ties are growing. We're partners in 
expanding global trade. The United States is India's largest trading 
partner, and India is one of the United States' fastest growing export 
markets. That's one of the reasons we met with the CEOs today, is to how 
to further trade and how to further commerce and how to further 
opportunities.
    And, oh, by the way, Mr. Prime Minister, the United States is 
looking forward to eating Indian mangos. Part of liberalizing trade is 
to open up markets. And as a result of your leadership and our hard 
work, we are opening up markets. Our Agricultural Knowledge Initiative 
is an important initiative for both countries, where we'll fund joint 
agricultural research projects.
    Prime Minister Singh and I established a trade policy forum to 
address bilateral trade issues. One of the areas we discussed today is 
how we can work together to make sure that the Doha negotiations end on 
a positive note. Trade is important. Trade is important for our peoples. 
Trade is important to help nations develop ways forward, help nations

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overcome poverty. And I appreciate your understanding of that, Mr. Prime 
Minister. I'm looking forward to working with you.
    As the Prime Minister mentioned, we concluded an historic agreement 
today on nuclear power. It's not an easy job for the Prime Minister to 
achieve this agreement, I understand. It's not easy for the American 
President to achieve this agreement. But it's a necessary agreement. 
It's one that will help both our peoples.
    Again, I applaud you for your courage and your leadership. I'm 
looking forward to working with our United States Congress to change 
decades of law that will enable us to move forward in this important 
initiative.
    Also, we talked about the Advanced Energy Initiative that I'm 
proposing in my own country. Listen, the whole purpose of the Advanced 
Energy Initiative is to end our dependence on oil, and as we develop 
technologies that will enable us to do so, we look forward to working 
with India so we can achieve the same objectives. Dependency upon fossil 
fuels causes, particularly during times of shortage, causes prices to 
rise in both our countries. And it's in our interests that we share 
technologies to move away from the era of fossil fuels.
    India and Pakistan have an historic opportunity to work toward 
lasting peace. Prime Minister Singh and President Musharraf have shown 
themselves to be leaders of courage and vision. And I encourage them to 
continue making progress on all issues, including Kashmir.
    India and America are partners in addressing other global issues 
like HIV/AIDS and pandemic flu. In other words, this partnership of ours 
is substantive, and it's important, and it's strategic. And I thank the 
Prime Minister for working with me to advance this relationship in such 
a way that we can define our previous meetings and today's meeting as 
historic in nature. I'm confident that the relationship between India 
and the United States is good for the United States of America. I hope 
it's good for the people of India, and I know it's going to be good for 
laying the foundations of peace in this world of ours.
    So, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you very much for having me.
    Prime Minister Singh. It's a great honor, Mr. President, to have 
you.

Civilian Nuclear Power Program in India/United Nations Security Council 
Membership

    Q. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. Thank you, Mr. President. Sir, 
since you have said that India-U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement is on, 
what we would like to know from you that how are you going to ensure 
that India's concerns and Indian scientific community's concerns 
regarding nonstop supply of fuel, and also protecting India's three-
phased nuclear research program?
    And excuse me, sir, Mr. President, I have a question for you too, 
sir. Sir, you know, everybody is saying that India and the United States 
are natural allies. And you have also said many times that our strategic 
partnership is based on common values, shared values. Sir, then why the 
largest democracy of the world is reluctant or not forthcoming to 
support--the oldest democracy of the world is not supporting the largest 
democracy of the world to have a permanent membership of the United 
Nations Security Council? This is an issue India would like to hear from 
you more, sir. Thank you. Thank you, Prime Minister.
    Prime Minister Singh. You have asked me about the nuclear agreement. 
As I mentioned, we have reached a mutually satisfactory understanding 
with regard to carrying forward the process that was outlined in the 
July 18 statement which I and President Bush signed.
    An important step forward is the preparation of a separation plan, a 
separation plan which separates the civilian nuclear program from the 
military program. That phase has been successfully completed. Now it is 
for the United States to go to the Congress for necessary amendments in 
U.S. laws. Also, the U.S. will approach the members of the Nuclear 
Supplier Groups, and thereafter we'll also have to go to the 
International Atomic Energy Agency for India-specific safeguards.
    So we have made very satisfactory progress. And I thank the 
President for his initiative. But for his leadership this day would 
probably have not come so soon.

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    President Bush. Thank you for your question on the U.N. Security 
Council. I'm not surprised you asked it. As a matter of fact, I gave an 
interview to a person from the India media in Washington, DC, prior to 
my trip, and that was one of the questions asked.
    My answer hasn't changed, by the way, which is this: One, we support 
United Nations Security Council reform, and we're interested in 
different ways to reform the United Nations Security Council. My concern 
all along, however, is that if we only stick to the United Nations 
Security Council reform, we miss an opportunity to reform the United 
Nations overall. And so our position is, let's make sure reform overall 
moves forward as we think about the best way to reform the Security 
Council.
    The United Nations is a very important international body. It's one 
that does, however, require better accountability and--accountability on 
how we spend money and accountability on getting results. One such area, 
for example, is the Human Rights Commission. The Human Rights Commission 
needs to be reformed in a way that actually is able to achieve 
significant results on behalf of the world.
    And so we're openminded, and we're listening. But what we don't want 
to do is have a Security Council reform measure that causes the other 
reforms not to go forward.
    Suzanne [Suzanne Malveaux, Cable News Network]. You probably need a 
microphone, unless you want to belt it out.

President's Upcoming Visit to Pakistan

    Q. I'll try. Thank you, Mr. President. There are reports of multiple 
bombings out of Karachi, Pakistan, outside of the U.S. consulate, as 
well as the Marriott Hotel. What can you tell us about this? Will this 
impact your trip, your visit to that country? And how does this speak to 
Pakistan or even Musharraf's ability to contain terrorists?
    President Bush. First of all, I've been briefed on the bombings. We 
have lost at least one U.S. citizen in a bombing, a foreign service 
officer, and I send our country's deepest condolences to that person's 
loved one and family. We also send the condolences to the people from 
Pakistan who lost their lives.
    Terrorists and killers are not going to prevent me from going to 
Pakistan. My trip to Pakistan is an important trip. It's important to 
talk with President Musharraf about continuing our fight against 
terrorists. After all, he has had a direct stake in this fight--four 
times the terrorists have tried to kill him.
    The Prime Minister and I talked about the need to continue working 
together to fight the scourge of terrorism. People--these terrorists 
will kill innocent life just like that. They have no conscience. You 
can't negotiate with them; you can't reason with them. They must be 
brought to justice. The bombing that took place prior to my trip is an 
indication that there are--that the war on terror goes on, and that free 
nations must come together to fight terrorism.
    The way to defeat terrorism in the short run is to share 
intelligence and to take action. The way to defeat terrorism in the long 
run is to defeat the ideology of hate with an ideology of hope. And 
that's democracy. The great thing about being here in India is, it's a 
perfect opportunity to remind the world that it is possible for people 
of different religions to live peacefully together. That's precisely 
what this grand democracy has shown the world.
    And my resolve has never been stronger about protecting our own 
people by working with other nations, to answer the call to history, and 
the call to history now is to stand strong in the face of these 
terrorist attacks. And we will.

War on Terror/India-U.S. Relations

    Q. President Bush, two questions for you. First----
    President Bush. Only two? That's good.
    Q. First, on the nuclear deal, how do you plan to sell the agreement 
to a very powerful nonproliferation lobby in Washington which has 
opposed the deal? And second, on the issue of terrorism, in the context 
of today's bomb blasts in Karachi, how do you propose to work with India 
on terrorism, considering India considers that the epicenter of 
terrorism is in Pakistan?
    President Bush. Well, one way we work together on terrorism is to 
make sure our intelligence services share information. The way you 
defeat terrorists is you--in the short

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term--is you anticipate and react to their motives and their actions 
through good intelligence.
    We're involved in a different kind of war. This is a war where 
people hide and plot and plan and then, all of a sudden, emerge and 
kill. And so it requires a different response. And part of the response 
is to commit our intelligence services to sharing information. We spent 
some time talking about that issue today.
    As well, I will send--bring the same message to President Musharraf, 
that we will continue to work with the President to share information to 
bring terrorists to justice. Terrorism is not prevalent only in this 
part of the world. It's prevalent in the Middle East as well. In the 
long run, terrorism will be defeated by giving people hope and 
opportunity as opposed to systems of government which breed resentment 
and provide--and as a result of that resentment, provide opportunity for 
these killers to recruit.
    In terms of convincing the Congress, the first thing I will say to 
our Congress is that our relationship is changing to the better. You 
know, sometimes it's hard to get rid of history, and short-term history 
shows that the United States and India were divided. We didn't have much 
of a relationship. And as a result, there are laws on the books that 
reflect that. Now the relationship is changing dramatically. People in 
the United States have got to understand that trade with India is in our 
interests, that diplomatic relations with India is in our interests, 
that cultural exchanges with India are in our interest.
    One of the things that helps make that case, of course, is the--
there's a lot of Indian Americans making important contributions to our 
country. And we welcome those contributions. I think there needs to be 
more student exchanges between our countries. I think we ought to expand 
H1B visas for Indian scientists and engineers and physicists and people 
in our country.
    In other words, what I'm trying to explain to you is that it's a 
changing relationship, and part of that change is going to be how to 
deal with the nuclear issue. Now, proliferation is certainly a concern 
and a part of our discussions, and we've got a good faith gesture by the 
Indian Government that I'll be able to take to the Congress. But the 
other thing that our Congress has got to understand, that it's in our 
economic interests that India have a civilian nuclear power industry to 
help take the pressure off of the global demand for energy.
    Obviously, nuclear power is a renewable source of energy, and the 
less demand there is for nonrenewable sources of energy like fossil 
fuels, the better off it is for the American people. Increasing demand 
for oil from America, from India and China, relative to a supply that's 
not keeping up with demand, causes our fuel prices to go up. And so to 
the extent that we can reduce demand for fossil fuels, it will help the 
American consumer.
    And so there are several ways for me to make the case, which I'm 
kind of laying out for you now, so that--but this is what I'll be 
telling our Congress.
    Axelrod [Jim Axelrod, CBS].

Civilian Nuclear Power Program in India

    Q. Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, following up on this just a 
touch, what kind of message, sir, does it send to the world that India, 
which has been testing as late as 1998, nuclear testing, and is not--has 
not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty--is this a reward for bad 
behavior, as some critics suggest? And what kind of message does it send 
to other countries that are in the process of developing nuclear 
technology? Why should they sign the NPT if India is getting a deal 
without doing so, sir?
    President Bush. What this agreement says is, things change, times 
change, that leadership can make a difference, and telling the world--
sending the world a different message from that which is--what used to 
exist in people's minds.
    I--listen, I've always said this was going to be a difficult deal 
for the Prime Minister to sell to his Parliament, but he showed great 
courage and leadership. And it's difficult for the American President to 
sell to our Congress, because some people just don't want to change and 
change with the times. I understand that. But this agreement is in our 
interests, and therefore, Jim, I'm confident we can sell this to our 
Congress as in the interest of the United States and, at the same

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time, make it clear that there's a way forward for other nations to 
participate in a--in civilian nuclear power in such a way as to address 
nonproliferation concerns.
    India has charted a way forward. You heard the Prime Minister talk 
about going to the IAEA. That group exists to help safeguard the world 
from proliferation.
    Listen, I proposed reprocessing agreements--that stands in stark 
contrast to current nuclear theology that we shouldn't reprocess for 
proliferation concerns. I don't see how you can advocate nuclear power, 
in order to take the pressure off of our own economy, for example, 
without advocating technological development of reprocessing, because 
reprocessing will not only--reprocessing is going to help with the 
environmental concerns with nuclear power. It will make there--to put it 
bluntly, there will be less material to dispose.
    And so I'm trying to think differently, not to stay stuck in the 
past, and recognize that by thinking differently, particularly on 
nuclear power, we can achieve some important objectives, one of which is 
less reliance on fossil fuels; second is to work with our partners to 
help both our economies grow; and thirdly is to be strong on dealing 
with the proliferation issues.
    Well, Mr. Prime Minister, it's been a joy.
    Prime Minister Singh. Thank you very much, Mr. President. We have 
made history today, and I thank you.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 12:26 p.m. in the Mughal Garden at the 
Hyderabad House. In his remarks, he referred to Aung San Su Kyi, leader 
of the National League for Democracy of Burma; King Gyanendra of Nepal; 
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan; and David Foy, a U.S. State 
Department official who was killed in a terrorist attack in Karachi, 
Pakistan, on March 2.