NEW DELHI: French Premier Michel Rocard, who arrived here Thursday on a two-day visit, described his second visit to the country as “a beginning of a new step (forward) in our relations”.
Speaking to reporters after a ceremonial reception on the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Rocard said he was here to take part in the closing ceremony of the year-long festival of France in India which had helped to bring the people of the two countries together.
Asked by a French journalist on what he felt about the visit, premier Singh said it would “help strengthen, deepen and broaden” bilateral ties.
He said it was a special privilege of the new government to welcome Rocard, the first leader from the west to visit India after the new government assumed office.
The two prime ministers will hold wide ranging talks on extending economic ties and technical cooperation between the two countries later in the day.
The French premier, who is accompanied by a high level delegation, was also received by Gujral, Nebru, M G K Menon, Vinod Pande, Gen V N Sharma and Lt Governor of Delhi Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Arjan Singh.
V P Singh said that the post1992 single European Economic Community (EEC) market should take into consideration the importance of industrialization in the developing counties.
Speaking at a banquet in honor of Michel Rocard, Singh said the EEC had taken commendable strides to establish a single market by 1992.
“We look forward to close economic and commercial cooperation with the counties of west Europe”, he said.
V P Singh said that the new government had initiated discussion to resolve bilateral problems with the neighbors through negotiation.
In order “to strengthen our cooperation, we hope to reinvigorate the process of regional cooperation within the framework of SAARC”, he added.
The Prime Minister said that India’s foreign policy was deeply rooted in the principles and ideas of the freedom struggle and was based on a national consensus.
“We shall pursue the policy of non-alignment and work for peace and disarmament through bridging the economic divide between the rich and poor nations”, Singh said.
MALE: India and Maldives today agreed in principle to abolish visa system for travel between the two countries to become first SAARC member-states to take such a step, the external affairs minister Inder Kumar Gujral said at a press conference here today.
Gujral also announced that the two countries would sign two memoranda of understanding tomorrow at the conclusion of the first Indo-Maldives joint commission meeting.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 26, 1990
