Bush, Singh seal nuclear cooperation

      New Delhi: India and the United States on Thursday agreed on the framework of the landmark nuclear deal reached in July last year between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush. "India and the US have reached an understanding on the implementation of the civil nuclear cooperation agreed last year," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at a joint press conference at Hyderabad House. "The deal is done. The details are being worked out and the exact language and formulation (of the deal) will be in the joint statement," National Security Advisor MK Narayanan said earlier after the talks between the two leaders.

    Dr.Singh said that now the finalisation of identification of civilian facilities will begin. "Discussions will be held with the IAEA on the guidelines for bringing the civilian nuclear reactors under its safeguards," he said. Singh said an important step forward is the preparation of a plan that separates civilian from nuclear military facilities and "it has been successfully completed". "Now, it is for the US Government to go to the Congress and make necessary amendments to the laws (for implementing the deal) and to approach the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for working the deal," he said. India will also work with IAEA to workout the India-specific safeguards for its civilian nuclear facilities. "We have made a very satisfactory progress and I thank President Bush without whose initiative it would not have been possible," said the Prime Minister.

     He said that it was up to the United States to achieve three things: Get the US Congress to change laws which will permit America to extend civilian nuclear help to India; Get the Nuclear Suppliers Group to accept the deal and be open to nuclear cooperation with India; and Have IAEA to prepare India-specific safeguards, which indicates that the nuclear rules and regulations which apply to NPT countries will not be the same for India. Singh said they have reached a joint statement which underlines significant progress in the relationship between the two countries. "Many of the areas now covered are central to India's national development. "They include energy, agriculture, science and technology, trade, investment and high technology, health and environment", the Prime Minister said. The landmark nuclear deal will give India much-needed access to US civilian nuclear technology. For India, it means an end to nuclear isolation and access to not just uranium but also nuclear technology. "We concluded a historic agreement on nuclear power. It's not easy for the Prime Minister to reach this agreement," said President Bush. The Bush-Manmohan Joint Statement was issued after the one-on-one talks between President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

     On his part, Bush said that the nuclear agreement with India was in the interest of the United States, and added that it would safeguard the world from proliferation Describing the decision-making process behind the deal as difficult for both Dr. Singh and himself, Bush said that he would now will be going back to Washington and would tell the US Congress that the Indo-US relationship is changing. "One has to change with the time," said Bush, adding that "We'll invite other countries to participate in civilian nuclear power." "It is in our economic interest to take civilian nuke energy to ease the pressure from fossil fuels," the U.S.President said.

'Terrorists can't prevent me from visiting Pakistan'

      New Delhi: U.S. President George Bush said that Thursday's twin blasts in Karachi, including the one outside the US consulate, would not deter him from visiting Pakistan over the weekend. "I have been briefed on the bombings in Karachi in which one U.S. national lost his life. Terrorists and killers can't prevent me from going to Pakistan. I pay my condolences to the family of the U.S. citizen and also the Pakistanis who died in the blasts," Bush said in New Delhi while addressing a joint news conference along with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Bush looks forward to 'important' India ties

      New Delhi: US President George Bush said Washington is looking to foster a "very important relationship" with India as he formally began his first visit to the world's largest democracy with a grand ceremonial reception on Thursday. Bush arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday after a surprise visit to Afghanistan, where thousands of U.S. troops are still engaged in hunting down the architects of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The three-day visit to India is seen as a growing recognition of the strategic and economic significance of the world's largest democracy by Washington after decades of mistrust between the two countries. "I have been received in many capitals around the world but I have never seen a reception as well organised and as grand as the reception I just received. Coming up to this majestic building was breathtaking and the horses that led us in added great elegance to this welcoming ceremony. It is a great honour, I have never been to India before and I have been looking forward to this visit for a long time. I am looking forward to meeting the Prime Minister to foster a very important relationship. I want to thank the President and the Prime Minister, thank you sir, for such grand opening reception and also thank you for arranging such beautiful weather," Bush said after the ceremonial at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi.

    Although the two sides are working on a wide range of agreements ranging from space to agriculture, a controversial civilian nuclear cooperation deal has become the centrepiece of the summit. US and Indian officials edged close to sewing up a landmark nuclear deal on Thursday as communist and Islamist groups vowed more mass protests ahead of formal talks involving President George W Bush. Negotiators, including the two national security advisers, worked late into Wednesday night trying to bridge "the last few gaps" between the two sides over the deal, officials said.

Gandhi among the great leaders of history: Bush

     New Delhi: US President George W Bush on Thursday said Mahatma Gandhi was among the great leaders of history for his contribution to all mankind. Paying floral tribute to the father of the nation at his memorial in Rajghat during a 10-minute stay this morning, Bush wrote in the visitors book: "I am grateful to have the opportunity to honour Mahatma Gandhi at this sacred site. His life was an inspiration to people and the world, and his contribution to all mankind places him among the great leaders of history." The US first couple showered rose petals on the memorial.

Rashtrapati Bhavan, a majestic building: Bush

    New Delhi: U.S. President George Bush used the occasion of his ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapti Bhavan to praise its architecture. Pointing at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said: ''This majestic building is breathtaking and the horses that led us here added elegance to the welcome ceremony.''

    The Rashtrapati Bhavan is a vast mansion and its architecture is breathtaking. Few official residential premises of Heads of the State in the world match it in terms of its size, vastness and magnificence. It was constructed by Edwin Lutyens with the aim of affirming the permanence of British rule in India. In 1950, it became the official residence of the President of India.The actual amount incurred in not only the construction of the building but also the Mughal Garden and the staff quarters amounted to Rs.14 million (1920s). Edwin Lutyens was reported to have remarked that the money invested in the construction of the building was smaller in amount as compared to the cost of two warships. This vast mansion has got four floors and 340 rooms. With a floor area of 200, 000 square feet it is built by using 700 million bricks and three million cubic feet of stone. Hardly any steel has gone into the construction of the building. The most prominent and distinguishing aspect of Rashtrapati Bhavan is its dome which is superimposed on its structure. It is visible from a distance and the most eye-catching round roof with a circular base in the heart of Delhi. The President's Bodyguard, which escorted Bush and his wife into the forecourt of Rashtrapti Bhavan, was raised in 1773 at Benares, by the then British Governor-General, Warren Hastings, with a strength of 50 picked troopers and horses.This nucleus of the Bodyguard was later augmented by another 50, provided by Raja Chet Singh of Benares, bringing the overall strength of the Bodyguard upto 100 horses and men by the end of that year. The establishment of the Regiment varied through the years, being augmented in times of war and it attained its maximum strength of 1929 all ranks, in the Army List of 1845, just prior to the First Sikh War. The PBG continued to be select Cavalry unit, primarily for the personal and battlefield security of the Governor- General. The Regiment saw action in 1965, when it participated in "Operation ABLAZE" in the Western theatre. In 1988 and 1989, detachments of The PBG has served on the world's highest battlefield in Siachen as well as with the Indian contingent forming part of the united Nations Force in Somalia and Angola. The PBG today is a small body of men comprising of four officers,14 JCOs and 161 Bodyguards-men backed up by administrative support personnel, an establishment which has not changed much in the last century. Equipped with armoured cars, its men are also trained for operational duties, both as tankmen and airborne troops in addition to their ceremonial role.

    Thanking President Kalam and Prime Minister Singh for the ''grand opening reception,'' he added that he was also enjoying the ''beautiful weather.'' Bush and his wife Laura were given a 21-gun salute soon after their arrival. The American President was then escorted to a beautiful and colourful tent erected at the centre of the forecourt. A tri-service band then played the American and Indian national anthems. Reviewing a tri-services guard of hounour, Bush was then introduced to Cabinet Ministers and key officials, while President Kalam was introduced to the U.S. delegation.

     Among those present on the occasion were Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Minister-in-waiting for the visit Kapil Sibal, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, Ministers of State for External Affairs E Ahmed and Anand Sharma, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor B L Joshi, Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran. On the American side, it was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher and Ambassador David Mulford. Following the ceremonial welcome, Bush went to Rajghat to offer floral tributes to father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. Bush, accompanied by wife Laura offered prayers at Rajghat on the banks of River Yamuna with hymns being played in the background.

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