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Vajpayee calls for revitalising NAM
Damascus, Nov 16: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today called on Syria to lend a helping hand to revitalise the Non-Aligned Movement so that the group can carve out a role for itself in the new world order.
Damascus, Nov 16: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today called on Syria to lend a helping hand to revitalise the Non-Aligned Movement so that the group can carve out a role for itself in the new world order.
"NAM should carve out a role for itself in the new world order by emerging as a collective, pragmatic and serious voice of the south," Vajpayee said in an interview to the Arabic daily ‘al Ba'ath’ here.
"As a longstanding member of this movement, Syria would have an important role in this objective of revitalising NAM," he said.
Vajpayee said the objective was to focus on common concerns that include commitment to multilateralism, combating terrorism, reform of the united nations system, democratisation of world bodies and developmental issues.
As a founding member of NAM, India believed in the continuing relevance of its basic principles but "it must find a consensual framework to face the new range of global challenges," Vajpayee said
On the Kashmir issue, the Prime Minister made it clear that it has to be solved bilaterally under the Shimla agreement as well as the Lahore Declaration and not according to the five decade old UN Security Council resolutions, as much had changed since then.
"The UN Security Council has dealt with this matter over five decades ago. Since then the political, economic, social and demographic realities had changed beyond recognition," he said.
Vajpayee said that the conflict in Palestine, Iraq and Kashmir were three entirely different issues in origin and nature and it was the near unanimous world opinion that a just and comprehensive middle east peace settlement would have to be found according to the UN Security Council resolution.
Observing that the UN had failed to reach effective decisions before the Iraqi conflict, he said, "the UN is now assuming a role in the political and reconstruction efforts in Iraq after the latest UN Security Council resolutions."
"We sincerely hope the cycle of violence and counter violence can be stopped (in Palestine). We will support every international effort that further these objectives," he said.
On bilateral ties, he said that he was sure that his visit would generate a new momentum by identifying fresh areas for cooperation. He said there were complementaries in the two countries' economies and there was enormous potential still to be tapped.
"I see great possibilities for cooperation especially in areas such as hydrocarbons, education, science and technology and of course goods and services we can offer to each other" he said.
He said current trade levels were not even one per cent of either country's total foreign trade and greater interaction will enable entrepreneurs in both countries to identify sectors for trade, joint ventures and investments.
He said that he was sure that the next session of Indo-Syrian joint commission due in January next year will promote the process of building promising commercial partnerships.
Bureau Report
"As a longstanding member of this movement, Syria would have an important role in this objective of revitalising NAM," he said.
Vajpayee said the objective was to focus on common concerns that include commitment to multilateralism, combating terrorism, reform of the united nations system, democratisation of world bodies and developmental issues.
As a founding member of NAM, India believed in the continuing relevance of its basic principles but "it must find a consensual framework to face the new range of global challenges," Vajpayee said
On the Kashmir issue, the Prime Minister made it clear that it has to be solved bilaterally under the Shimla agreement as well as the Lahore Declaration and not according to the five decade old UN Security Council resolutions, as much had changed since then.
"The UN Security Council has dealt with this matter over five decades ago. Since then the political, economic, social and demographic realities had changed beyond recognition," he said.
Vajpayee said that the conflict in Palestine, Iraq and Kashmir were three entirely different issues in origin and nature and it was the near unanimous world opinion that a just and comprehensive middle east peace settlement would have to be found according to the UN Security Council resolution.
Observing that the UN had failed to reach effective decisions before the Iraqi conflict, he said, "the UN is now assuming a role in the political and reconstruction efforts in Iraq after the latest UN Security Council resolutions."
"We sincerely hope the cycle of violence and counter violence can be stopped (in Palestine). We will support every international effort that further these objectives," he said.
On bilateral ties, he said that he was sure that his visit would generate a new momentum by identifying fresh areas for cooperation. He said there were complementaries in the two countries' economies and there was enormous potential still to be tapped.
"I see great possibilities for cooperation especially in areas such as hydrocarbons, education, science and technology and of course goods and services we can offer to each other" he said.
He said current trade levels were not even one per cent of either country's total foreign trade and greater interaction will enable entrepreneurs in both countries to identify sectors for trade, joint ventures and investments.
He said that he was sure that the next session of Indo-Syrian joint commission due in January next year will promote the process of building promising commercial partnerships.
Bureau Report