US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI1662

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001662 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, IN, External Political Relations 
SUBJECT: WARM WELCOME FOR SENATOR CLINTON 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary: Senator Hillary R. Clinton received an 
enthusiastic welcome during her unofficial February 17 - 23 
visit to New Delhi.  Her stay in India included a call on 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, meals offered in her honor by 
Foreign Minister Natwar Singh and Agriculture Minister Sharad 
Pawar, and a speaking engagement at a major conference 
sponsored by the newsweekly "India Today."  Other than 
causing some consternation with her remarks on India and 
nuclear issues, the Senator's visit was very positive.  That 
Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi offered Senator Clinton 
a meeting (the first for an American official since the May 
2004 elections), the Prime Minister hosted a tea, and FM 
Natwar Singh a lunch, indicates the high regard in which 
Indians hold the Clintons.  End Summary. 
 
India's Open Arms 
----------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) Offering her an unusually warm welcome, Foreign 
Minister Natwar Singh, Health Minister Anubumani Ramadoss, 
and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar all threw events in 
Senator Clinton's honor.  The lunch, reception, and dinner 
were a who's who of the New Delhi power elite, including 
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Petroleum Minister Mani 
Shankar Aiyar, Deputy Chief of the Planning Commission Montek 
Singh Ahluwalia, and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. 
Senator Clinton met with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her 
home on February 25, the first official American to do so 
since the May 2004 elections.  On the same day, she had a 
private discussion over tea with Prime Minister Manmohan 
Singh.  In an interesting reflection of Manmohan's 
relationship with the left parties, the PM also invited 
Brinda Karat, head of the All-India Women's Democratic 
Association, the women's wing of the Communist Party of 
India-Marxist (CPI-M).  The Senator's schedule also included 
a 15 minute session with young Parliamentarians, who, 
according to press reports, appreciated the opportunity and 
were impressed by her presentation. 
 
Conclave Remarks: Shared Interests 
---------------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU)  Capping an impressive lineup for the two-day 
"India Today Conclave," which also included Afghan President 
Hamid Karzai and Pakistani PM Shaukat Aziz (via satellite), 
Senator Clinton delivered remarks during the concluding 
dinner on February 26.  Speaking to the elite audience, she 
emphasized the degree to which the US-India relationship has 
strengthened in the last decade, and the number of issues on 
which our interests converge, including our shared democratic 
values.  In language that some of our Congress Party contacts 
found uncomfortably reminiscent of the old US policy, Clinton 
raised the nuclear issue, calling for creative "ways to 
reconcile the decision of India and Pakistan to be nuclear 
states, with the US commitment to the non-proliferation 
treaty."  On regional matters, she acknowledged the magnitude 
and importance of India's assistance to Afghanistan, and 
congratulated India on its leadership role during the Indian 
Ocean tsunami crisis.  She also provided a timely reminder of 
the important democratic transition underway in Iraq.  The 
Senator expressed optimism for further improvement of the 
India-Pakistan relationship, praising President Musharraf as 
a "legitimate partner for a stable, productive, and mutually 
beneficial way forward." 
 
4.  (U) Senator Clinton delivered a strong economic message, 
highlighting the need for free markets.  While recognizing 
India's remarkable growth, she drew attention to the yawning 
trade gap between the US and India and the concerns some 
Americans have over outsourcing, including the protection of 
sensitive information.  Encouraging increased Indian 
investment in the US, the Senator also stressed the major 
role of the private sector in fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS 
and in economic development more generally. 
 
Welcome Anytime 
--------------- 
 
5.  (U)  While describing the Senator as "charming" and 
having "infectious candor," media coverage of Clinton's stay 
in India included few details of her interactions, in keeping 
with her status as a private visitor.  The impressive access 
Senator Clinton had to Sonia Gandhi, and official New Delhi's 
warm embrace, mirrored by that of the public, indicates the 
high regard in which the Clinton family is held in India. 
MULFORD