Clinton phones in to wish Atal

NEW DELHI, March 20: President Bill Clinton called Prime Minister A B Vajpayee late this evening to wish him well in his new job, capping a ...

NEW DELHI, March 20: President Bill Clinton called Prime Minister A B Vajpayee late this evening to wish him well in his new job, capping a day full of congratulatory messages from world leaders.

The telephone call is an "unprecedented" first gesture by a US President to any Indian Prime Minister assuming office, officials said. The conversation lasted 10 minutes, with both sides reviewing recent developments, expressing satisfaction at the current state of economic cooperation and agreeing that the recently begun "strategic dialogue" must be carried forward.

Clinton referred to the "positive contribution made by the Indian community in the US to American society", the officials added, while Vajpayee renewed the invitation to Clinton and his wife to visit India. The US President is then believed to have remarked, "you can call me at any time," and both agreed to remain in contact.

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In an accompanying letter, which also provides indications of the US’ chief interests in the ensuing relationship, Clintonsaid he looked forward to jointly working in "regional energy resources, support for UN peacekeeping and the expansion of economic ties."

Clinton confirmed that a senior official delegation, consisting of US ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson, National Security Council Director Riedel and assistant secretary of state for South Asia Inderfurth, will be coming to India in mid-April.

Sending Richardson to meet the new government suggests that Washington is open to discussing India’s claim to a permanent Security Council seat, among other things. The US is also keen on understanding India’s position on the CTBT, a pact which New Delhi has so far refused to sign. A conference in scheduled in September 1999 at the United Nations to consider how recalcitrant nations can be brought in line.

Earlier this week, a key administration official told a senate hearing that lawmakers here should ratify the treaty before President Clinton visits the sub-continent so that he could sell the pact to countries like Indiaand Pakistan which have stayed out of the treaty. The Clinton administration has also sought to downplay the sharper nuclear posture of the new BJP government, saying it did not see any changes from the past Indian position. The position of the new government (that it will induct nuclear weapons if the need arises) does not represent a new threshold, an administration official told this correspondent last week.