WARM WELCOME FOR SENATOR CLINTON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001662

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL IN
SUBJECT: WARM WELCOME FOR SENATOR CLINTON



1. (SBU) Summary: Senator Hillary R. Clinton received an
enthusiastic welcome during her unofficial February 17 - 23
visit to New Delhi. Her stay in India included a call on
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, meals offered in her honor by
Foreign Minister Natwar Singh and Agriculture Minister Sharad
Pawar, and a speaking engagement at a major conference
sponsored by the newsweekly "India Today." Other than
causing some consternation with her remarks on India and
nuclear issues, the Senator's visit was very positive. That
Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi offered Senator Clinton
a meeting (the first for an American official since the May
2004 elections),the Prime Minister hosted a tea, and FM
Natwar Singh a lunch, indicates the high regard in which
Indians hold the Clintons. End Summary.

India's Open Arms
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2. (SBU) Offering her an unusually warm welcome, Foreign
Minister Natwar Singh, Health Minister Anubumani Ramadoss,
and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar all threw events in
Senator Clinton's honor. The lunch, reception, and dinner
were a who's who of the New Delhi power elite, including
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Petroleum Minister Mani
Shankar Aiyar, Deputy Chief of the Planning Commission Montek
Singh Ahluwalia, and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
Senator Clinton met with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her
home on February 25, the first official American to do so
since the May 2004 elections. On the same day, she had a
private discussion over tea with Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh. In an interesting reflection of Manmohan's
relationship with the left parties, the PM also invited
Brinda Karat, head of the All-India Women's Democratic
Association, the women's wing of the Communist Party of
India-Marxist (CPI-M). The Senator's schedule also included
a 15 minute session with young Parliamentarians, who,
according to press reports, appreciated the opportunity and
were impressed by her presentation.

Conclave Remarks: Shared Interests
--------------


3. (SBU) Capping an impressive lineup for the two-day
"India Today Conclave," which also included Afghan President
Hamid Karzai and Pakistani PM Shaukat Aziz (via satellite),
Senator Clinton delivered remarks during the concluding
dinner on February 26. Speaking to the elite audience, she
emphasized the degree to which the US-India relationship has
strengthened in the last decade, and the number of issues on
which our interests converge, including our shared democratic
values. In language that some of our Congress Party contacts
found uncomfortably reminiscent of the old US policy, Clinton
raised the nuclear issue, calling for creative "ways to
reconcile the decision of India and Pakistan to be nuclear
states, with the US commitment to the non-proliferation
treaty." On regional matters, she acknowledged the magnitude
and importance of India's assistance to Afghanistan, and
congratulated India on its leadership role during the Indian
Ocean tsunami crisis. She also provided a timely reminder of
the important democratic transition underway in Iraq. The
Senator expressed optimism for further improvement of the
India-Pakistan relationship, praising President Musharraf as
a "legitimate partner for a stable, productive, and mutually
beneficial way forward."


4. (U) Senator Clinton delivered a strong economic message,
highlighting the need for free markets. While recognizing
India's remarkable growth, she drew attention to the yawning
trade gap between the US and India and the concerns some
Americans have over outsourcing, including the protection of
sensitive information. Encouraging increased Indian
investment in the US, the Senator also stressed the major
role of the private sector in fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS
and in economic development more generally.

Welcome Anytime
--------------


5. (U) While describing the Senator as "charming" and
having "infectious candor," media coverage of Clinton's stay
in India included few details of her interactions, in keeping
with her status as a private visitor. The impressive access
Senator Clinton had to Sonia Gandhi, and official New Delhi's
warm embrace, mirrored by that of the public, indicates the
high regard in which the Clinton family is held in India.
MULFORD