Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, left, with President George W. Bush before their bilateral meeting in New York on Sept. 21. The talks were described as “relaxed, friendly and substantive” and both leaders agreed that ties between the two countries “have never been as close as they are at present, and they set the direction for further development of the India-U.S. strategic partnership.” (File Photo: Press Information Bureau)

New Delhi : It started in 2003, but became a deluge in 2004 as Indians and Pakistanis took advantage of a thaw between their countries to cross the border and be embraced by the “enemy.”

Even as the two governments gingerly put in motion a ‘Composite Dialogue Process’ to address a host of issues, including Jammu and Kashmir that have bedeviled their relations since their independence nearly six decades ago, the people of the two countries seized the opportunity to go across and see their estranged cousins.

And they –– parliamentarians, businessmen, lawyers, farmers, artists, filmstars and students –– returned from each other’s country gushing about the warmth and affection they received on their visits.

As the world cheered the move by nuclear-armed rivals towards rapprochement and a cease-fire between the two countries continued unbroken for the second year, the people of the border areas enjoyed unprecedented peace.

Thus, 2004 could well turn out to be the year that saw India and Pakistan writing a new script in their relationship as well in the troubled history of the subcontinent.

Whether the two governments shared that optimism or not they were inexorably being swept forward by the newly-discovered groundswell of goodwill at the people-to-people level that helped the peace process to remain on track despite the change of government in Delhi after the May general elections.

“Our confidence in taking this process forward is reflected in the number of wide-ranging confidence building measures that we have put on the table, including several on a unilateral basis,” External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh noted.

The year also saw New Delhi consolidating relations with the United States, Russia and China, the European Union and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also reached out to the Arab countries.

While reassuring the Palestinians and the Arabs countries in the Middle East that there was no change in India’s support for the Palestinian cause, the government said at the same time that it considered relations with Israel important.

New Delhi’s relations with the sole super power, continued on its upward trajectory, despite its concern about Washington’s move toward the yearend to resume sale of sophisticated weapon systems to Pakistan. A strategic cooperation initiative –– ‘Next Steps in Strategic Partnership’ (NSSP) –– launched at the beginning of the year made steady progress with the two countries concluding the first phase of the negotiations and moving to the second phase.

NSSP envisages cooperation in the “quartet issues” of civil space and civil nuclear fields, high technology trade and missile defense. The high technology trade is expected toup access for India to sensitive dual use technology and goods that could be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The U.S. decision to lift the sanctions on the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) following the conclusion of the first phase of NSSP is expected to boost trade ties between the two countries like never before. “India-U.S. relations are beginning to acquire a degree of stability and predictability,” Natwar Singh said.

India and China made slow but steady progress on the protracted boundary dispute to give a political direction to the talks imparting a new momentum to the process. A broad framework for resolving the border dispute is expected to be in place by the time Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visits India early in the new year.

New Delhi’s growing relations with the U.S. however did not impact on the ties with Russia, with Russian President Vladimir Putin extending unqualified support to New Delhi’s claim for a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council during a visit to India in December.

At the U.N.

"India and Pakistan have initiated a composite dialogue to resolve all issues. I reaffirm our determination to carry forward this dialogue to a purposeful and mutually acceptable conclusion. ----- Manmohan Singh"

Pervez Musharraf

" We are committed to resolving all disputes with India peacefully including the Kashmir dispute. We desire a resolution of Kashmir which is just and acceptable to India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir. ----- Pervez Musharraf"

Kofi Annan

"Laws must be put into practice, and permeate the fabric of our lives. It is by applying the law that we can deny safe havens to terrorists. By this, we can hope to resuscitate societies shattered by conflict. ----- Kofi Annan"

Hamid Karzai

" Nations from different continents with different cultures and religions have come together to help rebuild Afghanistan. This is a clear example of cooperation of civilizations. ----- Hamid Karzai"

Milestones

External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, left, with Secretary of State Colin Powell at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20. (File Photo: AFP)

Bush meets Sinha, Jan. 20: President George W. Bush met with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, a sign of the level of importance the president attaches to the developing relations with New Delhi. Sinha also discussed regional and bilateral relations with Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Gen. N.C. Vij

Rumsfeld meets Vij, March: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met with Indian Army Chief Gen. Nirmal Chandra Vij, who arrived in Washington at the invitation of Gen. Peter Schoomaker, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.



Powell, Sinha meeting, March 16 –– Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, in delegation-level talks, agreed to “energetically and expeditiously” implement the proposed bilateral strategic partnership.

Lalit Mansingh

Mansingh’s farewell, April 7 –– Key U.S. officials bid a farewell to India’s Ambassador to the U.S. Lalit Mansingh, who completed his 3-year term in Washington, D.C.

Shyam Saran

Saran new foreign secretary, June: Shyam Saran appointed as the next foreign secretary. In appointing Saran, ambassador to Nepal, to the coveted post, the government superseded eight officers senior to him.

Dick Cheney

Cheney’s statement, June 14 — The U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney laid out President Bush’s foreign policy achievements listing Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation as a “serious problem” in Orlando, Florida.

Ronen Sen and Nirupam Sen

New Appointments, June –– The government appointed Ronen Sen as the new ambassador to the U.S. Nirupam Sen became India’s permanent representative at the U.N. in New York, succeeding Vijay Nambiar.

Natwar on Iraq troops, June 12 –– External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh ruled out the possibility of India sending troops to Iraq.



Sen. Lugar hails efforts, June 24 –– Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) congratulated India and Pakistan for their efforts to bring peace to South Asia.

India’s Foreign Secretary Shashank, left, who uses only one name, with his Pakistani counterpart, Riaz Khokhar, in New Delhi on June 27. (File Photo)

‘Major Non-NATO Ally’ Status, June 28 –– The Federal Register published President Bush’s June 16th formal declaration of Pakistan as a ‘Major Non-NATO Ally.’

Indo-Pakistan agreement, June 28 –– In a landmark agreement, India and Pakistan pledged to find a “peaceful, negotiated, final settlement” to the Kashmir dispute as after talks between Foreign Secretaries Shashank and Riaz Khokhar in New Delhi.

Fernandes strip-searched, July: The disclosure that former defense minister George Fernandes was strip-searched twice at U.S. airports evoked an angry reaction in India. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage offered a belated apology to Fernandes, saying that the U.S. was taking steps to ensure that foreigners, particularly dignitaries, are treated “appropriately.”



Indian delegation in U.S., Sept. 9 –– An Indian parliamentary delegation assured the American policymakers that the presence of Leftists in the coalition government will not hinder Indo-U.S. relations in any sphere — economic, political or military ties.

Strobe Talbott

Talbott’s statement, September: Indo-U.S. relations would be taken to newer heights of cooperation and mutual understanding irrespective of whether President Bush or Sen. John Kerry wins, said South Asia scholar Strobe Talbott.



Rumsfeld’s statement, Sept. 11 –– The U.S.-led anti-terror coalition wants to update existing alliances and form new partnerships with nations such as India and Pakistan, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said.

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