A.- It is not a very happy thought that after becoming President his first speech should be that he wants to continue the fight. I do not know-continue to fight for what? And the fact that the Pakistan Delegation has accepted the security Council resolution that was adopted yesterday, does indicate that their actual approach and response is not the same as the extremist statement by President Bhutto.
Q.- Where do you expect these negotiations would take place?
A.- Any place. We have no strong views. We are prepared to go to any place for these negotiations. We are prepared to go to Islamabad and we will welcome them if they want to come to Delhi.
Q. Would you tell us whether you consider the assistance of a social representative of the secretary-General useful in such negotiations?
A.- So far as the utility of the secretary-General’s representative for tackling the humanitarian aspect is concerned, it will be a welcome more. But these other political talks are a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan, and, in retrospect, let us remember that whereas the international community here in the United Nations was still struggling with the problem, the two parties did bring about a cease-fire arrangements, although the initiative in this case came from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who offered a unilateral cease-fire.
Q. To what extent do you think the soviets control India? I mean India’s reputation of neutrality.
A.- India’s reputation for being a non-aligned country has increased as a result of the Indo-soviet treaty, because the Indo-soviet treaty definitely recognizes that India is a non-aligned country, and the U.S.S.R. first perhaps in any formal document has also admitted the validity of the concept of non-alignment as a factor for peace and stability in the world. So, the Indo-soviet treaty in fact highlights the importance of non-alignment in the concept of international peace.
Q.- I need hardly tell you that this is not the king of thinking in Washington.
A.- Washington have their own method of assessing situations, and I think as time passes, the Administration in Washington will also realize that India is a country mature enough and big enough to look after its own interests and is not dependent on the particular support of any country, nor is it terribly afraid of the irritations that might be in the minds of other countries. These are things which a country like India has to take in its stride, and things will definitely fall in proper perspective as time passes.
Q.- You spoke about negotiations-bilateral negotiations. Will they be bilateral negotiations or will they be trilateral too?
A.- There will be several points for which there will be trilateral negotiations also, particularly in relation to Bangladesh. But for the western theatre the talks used not be trilateral, they will essentially be bilateral.
