MEDIA REACTION: PRIME MINISTER SINGH'S

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E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRIME MINISTER SINGH'S
WASHINGTON VISIT, COPENHAGEN SUMMIT; NEW DELHI.

This countrywide cable reports on relevant media
reaction/opinion from India's large non-English press.
The Mission reports on English-language media via email
through the daily "Early Edition" summary.

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PRIME MINISTER SINGH'S WASHINGTON VISIT
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1. "MANMOHAN SINGH'S SUCCESSFUL AMERICA VISIT: BOTH
[NATIONS] NEED EACH OTHER," editorial in November 29
centrist Gujarati daily, GUJARATMITRA: "The number of
accords signed in the field on defense, science and
technology, trade and commerce, education, etc., by the
United States and India during Indian Prime Minister
Singh's visit to the U.S. indicates the positive
approach in the bilateral relationship between the two
nations. However, India needs to tread cautiously and
should not become America's lapdog vis-`-vis America's
foreign policy objectives. Also President Obama's
commitment to the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal
without making India sign CTBT or NPT is indicative of
America's interests in strengthening bilateral
relations between both nations."


2. "MANMOHAN SINGH'S VISIT TO U.S WAS IN THE INTERESTS
OF COUNTRY AND COUNTRYMEN," editorial in November 28
right-of-center Urdu daily AKHBAR-E-MASHRIQ: "Although
not a single historic agreement was signed during the
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to
Washington, it would not be justified to declare the
visit a failure. In fact, we have achieved a lot from
this visit. The visit established the fact that India
has an important place in the foreign policy of the
United States. It also successfully defused the
impression that the U.S has tilted towards China.
President Obama also reassured India that it is a
valued strategic partner. The Obama administration
recognized India as a nuclear power without questioning
why India has yet not signed the NPT. Now we should
expect that India and the U.S will finalize the fuel
reprocessing agreement very soon. AMERICA also
supported India's stand to destroy terrorists' hide
outs in Pakistan."


3. "NEW RELATIONS, NEW SIGNIFICANCE," op-ed in November
29 left-of-center Marathi daily, MAHARASHTRA TIMES: "It
is clear that both the U.S. and India are eager to take
their bilateral relationship forward, and quite
irrespective of the political context provided by China
and Pakistan. In fact, Prime Minister Singh's visit has
clarified that President Obama does not wish to grant
any special status to China in the South Asian
dynamics. Hope China also gets the message and does not
try to play the mediator in any of the tangles
involving India."

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COPENHAGEN SUMMIT
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4. "A PRECURSOR TO THE COPENHAGEN SUMMIT," editorial in
November 30 left-of-center Marathi daily, LOKSATTA:
"Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statements at
the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Port of
Spain carry great significance in the wake of the
upcoming Copenhagen summit on climate change. Singh did
not mince words while stating that India is willing to
commit itself to an ambitious global target for
emissions reduction, but that must be accompanied by an
equitable burden sharing paradigm. He reiterated
India's view that the Copenhagen outcome must be
equitable and legally binding on developed countries as
well."
ROEMER