LONDON: INDO-U.S. relations are improving, especially in the field of transfer of technology but the Country’s relations with the Soviet Union remain strong Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao has said.
In an interview to the British Journal Observer, Rao said of the three has been “some acceleration” in the development of closer relations with the U.S.
The Observer article “Raos 100day revolution awakens India”, quoted the Prime Minister as Saying that he has not given up on the Soviet Union.
“I don’t see it just disappearing from the scene. There will be some new arrangements, some new modus vivendi, perhaps with the new republics if there is no central authority, but the links are too Strong to snap completely,” he said.
Rao said his governments’ policy focused on dealing with the country’s economic crisis, chiefly over the Balance of Payments and maintaining the country’s social cohesion, or at least “not allowing the problems in places like Kashmir, Punjab and Assam to get out of hand”.
About India’s new economic reforms, Rao said “It is not easy for our friends abroad to believe that these reforms are irreversible. But since they have all-round support in Parliament and in the country, there is no danger of reversing them. Foreign investors need have no apprehensions”.
The Prime Minister said “a year ago, the country was in turmoil. On the whole, the divisive issues have been contained. They will be solved in due course”.
The Prime Minister told Observer that “I feel much stronger, much more stable, much more confident. I did not feel before that my position was really fragile, but it had to be established. I knew what I had to do, how I was to function, but I was uncertain about the response I would get”.
“I sought a consensus on all issues of importance, because the country was in such an obvious state of crisis, people had to respond,” Rao added.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 18, 1991
