Mr Menon, you had extensive talks with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on various things.
This time, when I met her, she showed great familiarity with all the details on our relationship and also willingness to carry it forward. She spoke of the stand-alone strategic partnership between India and the US. And on building the partnership, she said she wished to take the relationship to a new level. She is also looking forward to visiting India.
What about the Mumbai terror attacks?
I discussed that certainly. I informed that this is an issue. Since the attacks came from Pakistan, we had made it clear from the beginning that we would like to see two outcomes. One the perpetrators are brought to justice and second, Pakistan takes credible steps to dismantle the terrorism infrastructure in its country, which had led to these attacks and other attacks in India and elsewhere in the world.
Pakistan has taken steps towards the first goal. It has arrested some people, undertaken some investigations and then shared with us some of the results of that investigation. The US has its own legal responsibilities and we have associated the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the investigation and given them access and so on. They also informed us about what they will do.
I think it is clear. Terrorism out of Pakistan is a global menace. It is not only a threat to India or the US rather to the whole world. So, we also discussed what we could be doing in terms of international action, whether in terms of listing more entities and individuals in the UN Security Council’s list of terrorist organisations and their supporters, like we listed Jammat-ud-Dawah last December, or on the comprehensive convention on international terrorism.
Mrs Clinton wanted more cooperation in bilateral and global issues. Was there anything specific in this regard?
Well, we went through these issues. In fact, she showed great knowledge of all specific aspects in which we are cooperating and on what we could be doing. We agreed, say, in education. We need to increase the exchanges in each of these areas. She was very knowledgeable about what we have done, on climate change and energy security and on the thing we could do. We also discussed some regional issues.
She mentioned Sri Lanka and the situation of civilians in Sri Lanka and what we could do. I told her, yes, we would do whatever we can. We have set up a hospital in Sri Lanka to take care of the internally-displaced persons and civilians who come out of the conflict zone and we would try and work together. Also, for the rehabilitation of the areas so that normal democratic life can return as soon as possible for the Tamil civilian population in northern Sri Lanka. I think, it is very important because after 23 years of civil war this is a society which has been traumatised — all communities. We really need to bring them back to normalcy in some way. And that is how we can achieve that. I told her about that. we covered quite a few issues.
You were talking about Pakistan and there is much instability there with the United States also concerned because they are putting pressure on President Zardari?
We want and have made this clear for several years in our saying and actions. We really require and need for our own interest a stable and peaceful Pakistan. US shares this goal. For the internal affairs of Pakistan, it is for Pakistan to settle. It is not for us to prescribe how we, as democrats, think this is the best system and we would hope to see that democracy in Pakistan is strengthened. We will work with all those in Pakistan who are ready to work for better India-Pakistan relations. We will not interfere in their internal affairs.
Is our prime minister going to meet Obama for the first time, I mean, after President Obama took charge?
It is likely. We are still working on that schedule. One of the big issues to be discussed will be economy. Then would be our bilateral relationship and all that we are doing and hope to do together.
Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon in an interview to All India Radio, March 19, 2009
