Question and Answers on PM’s foreign visits, a transcript

New Delhi, 7 June 2014

Following is part of the transcript of Ministry of External Affairs (India)’s media interaction which throws light over Narendra Modi’s proposed foreign visits this year:

Question: Akbar, there has been a deluge of reports and speculation about Prime Minister’s foreign trips to at least three countries – United States, Japan and Bhutan. Could you give a factual account of where things stand today and maybe put a perspective to Prime Minister’s forthcoming foreign engagements?

Official Spokesperson: I am certain this is an issue which has aroused interest amongst all of you. Maybe we need to start by saying that since the announcement of the election results in May there has been an enormous amount of interest among a variety of leaders across the globe to meet our new political leadership.

If I were to try and put it in what these days is a way of explaining how much in terms that you use – in digital diplomacy they use lots of such words – perhaps I could sum it as something like the Prime Minister’s ‘Inbox’ relating to foreign policy visits is very crowded. And that happens for a variety of reasons: (a) as I said is because there is a lot of interest, and (b) because there are during the rest of the year there are several multilateral, plurilateral meetings which generally the Indian leadership participates in. Let me start by trying to give that and then we come to bilateral part.

There is the BRICS Summit that usually our leaders participate in, in July. There is the United Nations General Assembly in September where there have been often instances of our leaders participating at the highest level. Then there is the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN-India Summit meeting which goes along with that in October. Following that there is the G20 Summit in November. I am just indicating to you that there are four major important multilateral, plurilateral meetings that are likely to happen where India has always been represented by our senior leadership. Therefore, those are visits that will be on the agenda for our leadership. There is also a planned SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in November. So, you have five major summit-level meetings.

In addition, I think we need to understand that in our relationships across the globe, if I try and recount we have more than 20 strategic partners. And obviously there is usually high-level interaction with these countries who we have strategic partnership with. So, you have 20 plus strategic partners, you have five multilateral, plurilateral meetings scheduled during the course of the next seven months or so. Obviously that is why I said that the ‘Inbox’ of the hon’ble Prime Minister regarding foreign policy is pretty crowded.

Now let us come to what is being talked of. I will start with perhaps what would be his first visit. I can confirm that the hon’ble Prime Minister will be undertaking his first visit abroad to Bhutan. As you are all aware, India and Bhutan enjoy a special and unique relationship. It has been sustained by regular visits and extensive exchanges at the highest level between the two countries. In the light of these special relations, the Prime Minister looks forward to visiting Bhutan on his first visit later during the month. I can also add that all the dates that have been speculated by all of you collectively in this room are not correct because we are still exploring those dates. That takes care of the first.

As you mentioned, there has been speculation about a visit to the United States. Amongst the earliest leaders who contacted Prime Minister Designate then was President Obama. During that conversation he had extended a specific invitation to the then Prime Minister Designate to visit the United States at an early date. Following this invitation we have received a specific date for the visit. We are now in contact with the US to work out what could be a mutually convenient date for both of us for the Prime Minister to be in Washington for a summit-level meeting between Prime Minister and the President of the United States. Therefore, at this stage, I cannot share with you a specific date.

Let me repeat. Like I said, in the case of Bhutan, that date is likely to be in the month of June. In the case of the United States I would like to give you a month and that is September. I said that the Prime Minister will be visiting the United States and Washington. I have already told you that it is normal for our leadership to also participate in the United Nations General Assembly, and I have given you the month in which he is likely to participate there. There is a Climate Change Summit that is to be organised at the United Nations Headquarters and that is a major event in the UN calendar. So, that takes care I hope for you to understand about the United States. And we will let you know the dates once these dates are finalised.

That leaves the third country that Manish referred to and that is Japan. Yes, the Prime Minister has received an invitation to visit Japan at an early date. Subsequently the Japanese Foreign Minister was also in touch with the External Affairs Minister. And we are working very closely with our Japanese counterparts to work out an early date as was requested by them. We will share those dates once these are finalised between India and Japan. I hope I have answered all your questions on all the three issues you have raised and also on the calendar.

Now, let me summarise. The calendar for foreign policy issues of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is extremely crowded. We are working with a variety of our strategic partners to arrive at specific dates for specific requests that have been made. It is normal that given the range of our strategic partners we may not be able to have all of them in the timeframe of the six months that we are talking about. But there will be opportunities at multilateral organisations meetings or plurilateral meetings for them to interact, and we will make every effort towards that end.

Question: About Japan, today there were reports from Japan that Prime Minister Modi will visit Japan in July. So, I want you to give us a month.

Official Spokesperson: I think that is a fair question that you would like to know a month, and I will confirm that the month is likely to be July.

Question: What are the chances of the Prime Minister dropping by in Tokyo either on his way to Brazil or on the way back?

Official Spokesperson: I think I have already reached the limit of my ability to share substantive information with you in terms of the month. Now whether it is on the way forward, or on the way back, or before, or after, I think you will give me that time, space and another occasion to tell you that good news.

Question: Will Bhutan be the first outside visit for the External Affairs Minister as well?

Official Spokesperson: Let me put it another way. As you are aware, the Prime Minister has indicated that India’s foreign policy priorities are in the neighbourhood, and you are aware because he did invite the leadership of our neighbours in South Asia to participate in his swearing-in ceremony. That said, he will fly to Bhutan as his first.

If you would like to know whether the External Affairs Minister independently would be going to another neighbour, my answer would be yes. This will indicate to you that the neighbourhood is India’s priority. We will let you know those when, because it is not before the visit of the Prime Minister to Bhutan. If your question is who will accompany the Prime Minister, we will let you know those details separately. But I can confirm that both the Prime Minister of India and the External Affairs Minister of India will have their first visits to neighbours and, both these are in June.

Question: Sir, this is about Prime Minister Modi’s visit to USA. Is any official coming here from the USA before the Prime Minister’s visit?

Official Spokesperson: Let me assure you, there will be many interactions between now and September. After all between India and USA we have 30 dialogue mechanisms. So rest assured, there will be many officials coming, many officials going.

For example, there is likely to be a Strategic Dialogue between India and the US in Washington. We will work out the dates with the US authorities, unlike those speculative stories which have come out today saying that the Strategic Dialogue is going to be held in India. And according to those stories it was the US which had requested this. When I checked up with my colleagues, this was the first they had heard. So, please do not indulge in speculative stories which have no basis in reality.

Strategic Dialogue normally has to be held by turns. Last time, as you are aware, Secretary Kerry was in Delhi, and this time the Strategic Dialogue will be held in Washington. And of course it will be prior to the proposed interaction that we are exploring in September.