External Affairs Minister S M Krishna surveys India’s external relations with other partners in an interview with Aditi Phadnis.
A confrontation between Iran and the US is brewing over the Straits of Hormuz through which India gets 50 per cent of its oil. If the supply of oil is disrupted, India could face a serious problem. Are you taking any diplomatic initiatives to prevent such a confrontation?
It is true that we import a large amount of oil and when we import oil, some of these factors will have to be taken into consideration. Necessary overtures are being made with Iran: as we have a long history of bilateral relations with that country which have been quite good and there has been no tension or concerns.
Forty per cent of our oil requirements is met by Iran. This is all the more reason why we would like to keep relations with that country warm and work towards strengthening relations in future.
But our relations with Iran are not dependent on Iran’s relations with a third country. They are independent of other countries’ relations with Iran, whether strained or otherwise. I’m confident that Iran recognises this as well.
So does that mean that the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline to which the US had objected, will now be put back on the active list of economic and diplomatic initiatives taken by India?
There are various other circumstances around the IPI pipeline, but we are proceeding on the basis that things are positive-looking. Concerns there are more economic than political. Hence, it is necessary for all countries engaged in the pipeline project to keep this in mind. Countries will have to care about each other, help each other. There is the question of assured imports which cannot be left to the vagaries of price fluctuations.
We are unable to pay Iran for the oil India buys from it because of problems in banking channels…
We are working out a mechanism through which the oil bill could be paid.
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In the last two years, there has been a significant improvement in India’s relations with neighbouring countries. Why did things go so wrong and what are you doing to improve them?
With Pakistan, we have had a history of accumulated hostility. After 26/11, things took a dip. Then, thanks to the statesmanship of the Prime Minister by telling Parliament that there is no other alternative for India but to engage with Pakistan for a peaceful settlement of all outstanding issues, the dialogue, which was abruptly suspended after 26/11, was renewed with full force. Two or three meetings have taken place at the levels of the Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers. The focus is to bridge and prevent from widening the trust deficit between us. When the Prime Ministers of the two countries met at Sharm el Sheikh, the PM took the initiative to take talks forward.
Recently, the two PMs met at Maldives. They have mandated the two Foreign Ministers to work for the elimination of the trust deficit once for all. I am happy that by and large we have achieved this goal. Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar made it known to me, told the press in Pakistan and also said publicly that relations with India were undergoing a new mindset.
We have achieved considerable progress at the discussions held at the level of secretaries – whether the Foreign Secretaries or Home Secretaries or others. I will be going to Pakistan in the first quarter of 2012.
With Sri Lanka, India has had a history, some bits of which we would rather forget…
Relations have improved but they were always good even when Prabhakaran was riding high on the LTTE banner. The Indian government has never provided overt or covert assistance (to any group in order) to maintain bilateral relations with Sri Lanka. Security wise, we are dependent on Sri Lanka – there are large security concerns that can affect both countries in the Indian Ocean. We would like to continue to keep on the right side of Sri Lanka.
We are assisting Sri Lanka in the rehabilitation of displaced persons. I will be going to Colombo on January 16. I am looking forward to the visit and would like to see the relationship firmly anchored.
We have had the Nepal Prime Minister, Baburam Bhattarai visit India. I had met him when he was not Prime Minister but a leader of the Maoist group. I have come to realise that Bhattarai means well for India. He has made it abundantly clear that he would like to have good relations with India and we reciprocate that sentiment. We also have relations with other parties – the Nepali Congress, for instance.
There is a perception that India’s interests have been undermined with both Sri Lanka and Nepal’s developing relations with China…
We are concerned with bilateral relations with our neighbours and would like to anchor them securely. As far as their relations with third countries are concerned, we cannot impose our will on them: we respect their attitude to other countries. But we would like to conduct our relations with them on the basis of goodwill and good neighbourly relations.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a very successful visit to India. We also hosted Foreign Minister Deepu Moni. I also went there, as did Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairman Sonia Gandhi. We have also met at many multilateral fora.
Have India and Bangladesh managed to put behind them the misunderstanding over the sharing of Teesta waters?
Bangladesh understands that we have limitations owing to the federal nature of our polity. Water is a state subject and we could not come to understand West Bengal’s fears and overcome them. Time should find a solution.
There is a feeling that relations between India and the US, although generally positive, have hit a sterile patch. You cannot keep relations in a state of white hot passion all the time. But do you think the US was disappointed that you were unable to deliver on FDI in retail and frame civil nuclear liability laws that their investors might have wanted?
Our relations are anchored on complementarities between their system and ours: which is rule-based, with fundamental respect for democracy and human rights and the common bond of English.
The civil nuclear cooperation is a milestone that was clinched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and first President George Bush and later cemented by president Obama. It will help India overcome its energy needs.
But it is a fact that you cannot have relations with any country that is in a state of hype all the time. In our country, we will have to take policy decisions by consensus: the US, being a democracy, understands this.
India’s relations with China and its relations with India frequently becomes a victim of misperception – in the media and among the people… why does this happen? How can we correct this?
We have normal relations with China, but it is true that after 1962 relations hit rock bottom. However, in the last few years, they have regained equilibrium. We have had Wen Jiabao and Hu Jintao visit India and our leaders have gone to China. We have been able to overcome suspicion and mistrust. Yes, there have been some misgivings about local issues. But neither have these swayed China nor has India’s confidence been shaken. We are clear that in India, we are bound by rule of law and rights of individuals. So even though our systems differ, we are batting on a solid wicket of trust and goodwill.