NEW DELHI: Ms. Robin Raphel, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, is keen to visit India, but her reluctant hosts show no keenness to receive her, just yet.
Raphel has even suggested possible dates when she would like to be in Delhi but the Ministry of External Affairs has politely informed the American Embassy in Delhi that the dates are not at all convenient.
This development coincides with the US President’s latest remark sharing Pakistan’s concern about human rights abuses in Kashmir. He made this remark in a prepared Speech which was in response to the remarks of the Pakistan Ambassador while presenting her credentials to him.
The Foreign Office is extremely surprised that Mr. Clinton had departed from convention and mentioned a third country in a speech which normally refers only to bilateral relations with the country whose Ambassador is presenting credentials. In his cight paragraph speech Clinton made mention of India at three places.
The Foreign Office sees Raphael’s hand in this, because such speeches are normally prepared by the State Department since they are supposed 16 strike stock of bilateral ties that being so, the Indian
Government is extremely reluctant to play host to Ms. Robin Raphel in New Delhi even though there is a section of opinion in the Foreign Office which feels that she should be confronted face to face.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 25, 1994
