Click to play videoOn the eve of her visit to India, the first by the highest-ranking member of the Obama administration, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorses the outcome of the Indo-Pak talks. In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Clinton denies that Washington pressurised India to return to the dialogue table while claiming that Pakistan is committed to arresting the perpetrators of the 26/11 attack.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Madam Secretary, the Bush administration has affected a strategic shift in its relationship with India, where India was seen as the major partner of the US in the region. Is the Obama Administration equally committed to taking that relationship forward, to seeing India as a major player in Asia?
Hillary Clinton: Absolutely, in my recent speech which summarised many of the priorities that we in the Obama Administration are pursuing, and I made it very clear that we see India as a partner, a global partner. I am very pleased that when I come to India, we are going to be announcing a very broad comprehensive agenda for dialogue that Minister Krishna and I would be leading. We see India as an economic power, a strategic partner, a country that has an unlimited potential and of course I am very pleased that I had the opportunity 14 years ago to come to India, to take forward the commitment that my husband and then president had made then. I supported the steps that Bush administration took and as you may know I was co-chair of the India Caucus in the US Senate. So it's a particular privilege for me to be in this position at this time, to be coming to India and to be pursuing a deeper and broader relationship between our two countries.
Rajdeep Sardesai: The corner store of that strategic relationship fashioned by the Bush administration was the Indo-US Nuclear Deal. Now is the Obama Administration just as committed to taking that deal forward? I ask this because the recent G-8 declaration regarding restriction on transfer of atomic technology to non-NPT states, has led some in India to believe that the Obama Administration is determined to get India to sign the NPT before we move forward.
Hillary Clinton: Well, of course we are committed to the civilian nuclear agreement that was signed during the Bush administration. I hope to have some announcements about the continuing implementation of that agreement when I arrive in India and I want to discuss with Indian leaders how we can work together for a common purpose of preventing the proliferation of nuclear material and weapons to state and non-state actors who pose a threat to India, Unites States and to the many countries around the world. So of course there will be a very serious discussion that will begin with my visit and continue through our important strategic dialogue, but I think we share a common desire to make sure that we don't have irresponsible state and especially non-state actors such as terrorist networks - that we both have to be very vigilant against - acquiring weapons that we know should not be in their hands.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Are we to believe then that the clean waiver India got from the Nuclear Suppliers Group last year will override all else, that you will therefore go ahead with these various nuclear agreements on your trip here and therefore the Obama administration is not making signing the NPT, as critical to furthering this strategic relationship?
Hillary Clinton: Well, what I want to speak with your leaders about is what the possible new approaches to non-proliferation might be and look at the global and regional regimes that would make sense for India as well as other nations. The Obama Administration is - as are other G-8 members you referenced in the agreement that they put out - very concerned about proliferation. The United States is very committed to our nuclear agreement with India, but I want to hear from the Indian leaders what they believe would be useful steps that we could mutually pursue that would avoid the concerns that I think we share about such material falling into the wrong hands.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Ma’am you are coming to India at the time when India and Pakistan have just revived their dialogue. There is a feeling here that it was the US which was pressurising India to return to the dialogue table. Was there that kind of pressure?
Hillary Clinton: No, not at all; I am very impressed has met Prime Minister Singh both with President Zardari and now with Prime Minister Geelani of Pakistan. This dialogue between India and Pakistan is certainly one that could only be pursued with the agreement and commitment of the two countries and their leaders, but of course United States is very supportive of any steps that India might take, and any agreement that India and Pakistan might reach.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Madam Secretary, some fear though that the US is still not doing enough to put pressure on Pakistan to bring those responsible for the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai to book, that the US' sole focus is on Pakistan's fight against Taliban, not so much on Islamabad tackling home-grown terror groups like the Lashkar or the Jaish.
Hillary Clinton: I don't think that's an accurate perception. We have engaged in very important ongoing discussion with the Pakistani forces, civilian government as well as the military, about the importance of standing up against terrorists and extremists no matter who they are and where they might strike. In fact I think in the last few days there has been a real commitment that was discussed between Prime Minister Geelani and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the commitment of the Pakistani government to pursuing the Mumbai terrorists and their associated organisations who provide the training and the deployment of terrorists. And I think you will find that Pakistan's own fight against these extremists is giving the Pakistani people a greater understanding and level of commitment to the continuing struggle against the terrorists. So I really see events trending in a very positive direction between India and Pakistan, in part because of the shared sacrifice, commitment and understanding that now exists about the threat that the organisations of terrorists pose to both of your countries and to the safety and well being of your people.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Madam Secretary you have made climate change also a key issue in your foreign policy. Now the US House of Representatives has passed a Bill which imposes trade restrictions on countries which do not sign up to an emission cap. Are you aware of Indian concerns that if such a Bill is passed in the US Senate, it could hurt developing countries like India?
Hillary Clinton: What I am looking for and what I am anticipating discussing with Indian leaders is how together we can make the fight against climate change a win-win proposition. Certainly you will not hear from me or from President Obama or from our administration any desire to prevent the continuing development of India. We understand the great commitment that the Indian Government and people have to improving the living standards of hundreds of millions of people who deserve to have a good life and a better future for their children. But we also understand the grave threat posed by climate change to coastal countries like India that will be on the frontlines of the devastation that is likely to be wreaked if we do not reign in the increasing temperature that is being recorded.
Rajdeep Sardesai: The last time you were in India, you came as the first lady of the US. This time you come as the US Secretary of State. Are there any particular memories from your last visit, anything in particular that you would like to see or do on this visit to India?
Hillary Clinton: The last time I came I was a senator from New York. I was last in India in 2005 and have wonderful memories from that trip as I have from my previous trips - meeting Mother Teresa in Calcutta and of course the trip which I took with my daughter which was so memorable and just leaves me with many positive and warm feelings about India and the people of India.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Madam Secretary appreciate you joining us on CNN-IBN and we hope that there is a positive outcome from your visit to the country.
Hillary Clinton: I am very confident of it. We are going to deepen and broaden our relationship on so many fronts and I am excited to see the growth and the potential of India being realised.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Thank you very much.
Hillary Clinton: Thank you.
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