President George Bush, second from right, with, from left, Ambassador Ronen Sen’s wife Kalpana, former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, First Lady Laura, and Ambassador Sen at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3. President Bush declared his intention to visit India later this year. Later he announced that former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton would lead an effort to raise private contributions to go to the affected families. (Photo: Courtesy, Indian Embassy)

President George W. Bush on Jan. 3 said he is planning a trip to India some time this year. The president said this when he went to the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., accompanied by his wife Laura and former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush to sign the condolence book for tsunami victims in India. They also visited the embassies of Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand. The First Lady offered a bouquet of white roses at the Indian Embassy as a sign of condolence to the victims.

“I was just telling the Ambassador, when I spoke to the Prime Minister I assured him that my intentions were to make it this year to India,” said the president in response to a question from a journalist after he signed in the condolence book.

“We pray for the victims of this terrible disaster –– and we stand firmly with the people of India as she recovers,” Bush wrote in the condolence book.

He went on to add at the brief interaction with journalists that, “In the meantime, though, our country stands with the people who have suffered. We want the Indian government, the Indian people to know that we will help in any way we can. I have asked President Clinton and President Bush to lead an effort to raise private contributions to go to the families of those who have suffered, and to help provide food, medicine, water, shelter, whatever the Indian government thinks is necessary.”

He also thanked the Indian government “for taking a lead in this issue. One of the first things we did was to put together a core group of nations, nations that are capable of organizing relief efforts around the region, and the Indian government has been especially strong, as a part of this core group. And I told the Ambassador to thank the Prime Minister for his very strong leadership.”

“Our navies are coordinating together; our search and rescues are coordinating together. And now the American people and the American government want to help where help is needed.”

Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen appreciated the “genuine warmth” shown by the current and former presidents and the bipartisan nature of the response to the tragedy.