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Sikkim will `cease` to be issue: PM
New Delhi, July 23: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said in Lok Sabha that India and China have started a process by which Sikkim will `cease` to be an issue in Sino-India relations and made it clear that there was no change in his government`s decades-old policy on Tibet.
New Delhi, July 23: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said in Lok Sabha that India and China have started a process by which Sikkim will "cease" to be an issue in Sino-India relations and made it clear that there was no change in his government`s decades-old policy on Tibet.
Making a suo motu statement on his recent visits to Germany, St Petersburg (Russia), Evian (France) and China, Vajpayee described as "significant" the Memorandum of Understanding on border trade through Nathu La Pass on Indo-China border.
"This adds a third point of crossing for border trade between India and China. With this memorandum, we have also started the process by which Sikkim will cease to be an issue in India-China relations", the Prime Minister said. On Tibet, Vajpayee said, "There is no change in our decades-old policy. We have never doubted that Tibet autonomous region is a part of territory of People`s Republic of China".
Prime Minister said, "There can, therefore, be no argument against reiterating it. We have said nothing new about the presence of his holiness Dalai Lama or of Tibetan refugees in India".
On his talks with world leaders, including US President George Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chinese Premier Hu Jintao and French President Jacques Chirac, Vajpayee said all these leaders appreciated the hand of friendship extended by him to Pakistan.
"All the leaders I met naturally showed interest in the situation in South Asia. I was happy to note that all of them expressed support and appreciation for the hand friendship we have extended to Pakistan and hoped Pakistan would reciprocate.
"All of them spoke strongly against the menace of terrorism," he said adding "I believe my interlocutors have a proper appreciation of our policy of promoting peace, regionally and internationally".
Vajpayee said the twin objectives of his china visit to establish close relations with the new leadership there and to impart fresh momentum to the increasingly diversified bilateral cooperation were fulfilled.
"We have agreed to a wide-ranging, mutually beneficial engagement with China, even while simultaneously addressing our differences through amicable discussions," he said.
During his meeting, Vajpayee said the Chinese president had told him that the new leadership in that country "placed great emphasis on developing friendship with India". Vajpayee said it was agreed that China and India, which comprise one-third of humanity, should work together effectively to make the 21st century the Asian century.
Observing that his visit took place almost ten years after the last visit by an Indian Prime Minister to China, the Prime Minister said a recurrent theme in all his meetings was the commitment of both sides to strengthen the ongoing process of building mutual trust and understanding.
"It gave me an invaluable opportunity to personally interact with the new Chinese leadership. I was received with great warmth and courtesy and was given the distinct impression that our desire for mutual goodwill and for diversification of our bilateral relationship was fully reciprocated," he said.
On the historic joint declaration signed by him and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, he said it confirmed the commitment of the two countries to work more closely together internationally to strengthen the trend towards multi-polarity, on WTO issues and on areas of concern to developing countries.
Vajpayee said the two sides had agreed that the joint work on the clarification of the Line of Actual Control should continue smoothly and that peace and tranquility in the border areas should continue to be maintained.
Bureau Report
"This adds a third point of crossing for border trade between India and China. With this memorandum, we have also started the process by which Sikkim will cease to be an issue in India-China relations", the Prime Minister said. On Tibet, Vajpayee said, "There is no change in our decades-old policy. We have never doubted that Tibet autonomous region is a part of territory of People`s Republic of China".
Prime Minister said, "There can, therefore, be no argument against reiterating it. We have said nothing new about the presence of his holiness Dalai Lama or of Tibetan refugees in India".
On his talks with world leaders, including US President George Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chinese Premier Hu Jintao and French President Jacques Chirac, Vajpayee said all these leaders appreciated the hand of friendship extended by him to Pakistan.
"All the leaders I met naturally showed interest in the situation in South Asia. I was happy to note that all of them expressed support and appreciation for the hand friendship we have extended to Pakistan and hoped Pakistan would reciprocate.
"All of them spoke strongly against the menace of terrorism," he said adding "I believe my interlocutors have a proper appreciation of our policy of promoting peace, regionally and internationally".
Vajpayee said the twin objectives of his china visit to establish close relations with the new leadership there and to impart fresh momentum to the increasingly diversified bilateral cooperation were fulfilled.
"We have agreed to a wide-ranging, mutually beneficial engagement with China, even while simultaneously addressing our differences through amicable discussions," he said.
During his meeting, Vajpayee said the Chinese president had told him that the new leadership in that country "placed great emphasis on developing friendship with India". Vajpayee said it was agreed that China and India, which comprise one-third of humanity, should work together effectively to make the 21st century the Asian century.
Observing that his visit took place almost ten years after the last visit by an Indian Prime Minister to China, the Prime Minister said a recurrent theme in all his meetings was the commitment of both sides to strengthen the ongoing process of building mutual trust and understanding.
"It gave me an invaluable opportunity to personally interact with the new Chinese leadership. I was received with great warmth and courtesy and was given the distinct impression that our desire for mutual goodwill and for diversification of our bilateral relationship was fully reciprocated," he said.
On the historic joint declaration signed by him and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, he said it confirmed the commitment of the two countries to work more closely together internationally to strengthen the trend towards multi-polarity, on WTO issues and on areas of concern to developing countries.
Vajpayee said the two sides had agreed that the joint work on the clarification of the Line of Actual Control should continue smoothly and that peace and tranquility in the border areas should continue to be maintained.
Bureau Report