My intention in coming here was, of course, primarily in response to President Nixon’s invitation, which was extended to me about a year ago, long before these events took place, but also because I believe that in our fast changing world it is important for heads of governments to keep in touch with leaders of other nations to find out their thinking and to be better educated about this changing world:
Following are some of the questions by the press, and answers given by the
Prime Minister, during the function:
Question: Madame Gandhi, could you give us some description of the subjects covered in your talks with President Nixon? And what do you think the talks accomplished, if anything?
Prime Minister: This is the sort of question that I thought I would only make on the fifteenth of November when our Parliament meets and which one has to circle around a bit because you could not have useful talks with heads of nations if you were immediately to divulge exactly what was talked about.
I think the talks have been useful. They have been very wide ranging, practically all over the world: Europe, Asia; bilateral matters, international matters. And what they have achieved is what I said in any remarks: I think the President knows now what we are thinking in India, and I have a better appreciation of what the American Government thinks about all these matters. I don't think I can go into greater details on this occasion.
Question: May be you won’t answer this, but let me ask Initial reports suggested there was firm disagreement between you and President Nixon over the ways of reaching a political solution with Pakistan. Are these reports correct and would you elaborate?
Prime Minister: No this report is not correct. As I said, that it is for the U.S. Government and the President to see what they can do in the matter. I was certainly impressed by the President’s sincere desire to try and help in this very difficult situation. I think this report was largely based on the fact that we met for longer than was expected or scheduled. But that is only because we had so much to talk about. And that is why the talks overflowed to this morning also.
However close any two countries are, each country must have its own point of view, because that point of view is influenced by the geopolitical situation of the country, by the historic background, and many other experiences which can never be duplicated in two countries. So, although I would say that we have a similarity of approach with the United States, we could never have an absolute identical approach either with the United States or, for that matter, with any other country.
And in this, of course, we could only put to the President and his colleagues our assessment of the situation on our borders, its likely impact on India. And we do think that peace in India, stability in India, is of utmost importance, not to us only, but to Asia and, I think, the world.
Question: Did you expect President Nixon to speak up, to stand up and be counted when democracy was suppressed in East Bengal? As a result of your talks here, do you expect a change in American policy?
