REWIND

New Delhi, 31 August 2023

India, UN Summit & Success

By Inder Jit

(Released on 20 September, 1983) 

The Prime Minister has reason to be pleased with herself and her aides. Her idea of a summit of world leaders at the UN has worked out well -- more or less as she wanted it. Outwardly, only some thirty heads of Government are attending the consultations as against a UN membership of more than 150 countries. The Non-Aligned Movement itself has now over a hundred members. A bigger and fuller response would have been heart-warming. However, it would have also created problems of modalities and logistics in New York in making the proposed meeting purposeful and productive. It is so much easier getting a group of 30 heads of Government together around a table or in smaller groups than, say, a hundred or more summiteers. In fact, much time was initially taken up in working out the ways and means of making the summit meaningful in case all or most of the invitees chose to attend. Eventually, New Delhi came to the conclusion that a smaller group of 25 to 30 countries would perhaps be best provided these included all or some of the more important countries.

Fortunately, the quality of the response has been good even if not all the top world leaders are participating President Reagan has announced his intention to address the UN General Assembly on September 26, the day Mrs Gandhi will also be there; she is due to fly into New York the same morning from Paris. It is not known yet if Mr Reagan will join the summit consultations, the first of which will be held on September 27. (The second round of consultations is slated for September 29 with the possibility of a third on September 30.) The US President may, if he so chooses, extend his stay by a day and join the first get-together on September 27. One thing alone is certain at the time of writing. President Reagan and Mrs Gandhi are expected to meet on September 26 though the precise nature of and duration of the meeting is not yet clear. Mr Reagan had earlier invited Mrs Gandhi to visit Washington from the UN. But she regretted it would not be possible to do so since she was visiting New York as Chairperson of NAM.

World chanceries and diplomatic circles continue to speculate whether the Soviet leader, Mr Yuri Andropov, will join the summit. The truth, however, is that Mr Andropov has already informed Mrs Gandhi about his inability to attend. In his reply to her invitation, Mr Andropov has told Mrs Gandhi that he would like his first visit to the United States to be on a bilateral basis specifically to meet the US President and hold talks with him -- and not incidentally. Mrs Gandhi has respected Mr Andropov's feeling even though she would have personally liked him to come. In keeping with her style and strong sense of national self-respect, she has neither addressed a second communication to him in regard to the summit nor to any other leader. Contrary to talk in diplomatic circles, Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao's brief visit to Moscow had nothing to do with the forthcoming summit. He decided to undertake the trip and exchange views broadly with Mr Gromyko as it fitted in conveniently with his scheduled visits to Geneva, Bucharest and Baghdad.

Europe's response has grown, beginning with Sweden and Finland, which were the first two takers among the non- NAM countries. Both the Swedish Prime Minister, Mr. Olaf Palme, and the President of Finland, Dr Henrik Koivisto, enthusiastically welcomed the idea during Mrs Gandhi's recent visit to these countries. The response of some other countries has also been gratifying -- as in the case of Canada and its Prime Minister, Mr Trudeau. The French President, Mr. Mitterand, and the Swedish Prime Minister, Mr.  Palme, are attending the summit and so also the Prime Ministers of Spain and Holland, Mr. Felipe Gonsalves and Mr.  Lubbers respectively. Britain’s Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, has indicated her inability to extend as she is due to visit Ottawa and Washington during that week. But authoritative sources do not rule out the possibility of Mrs. Thatcher flying into New York from Washington on the morning of September 30 and joining the last round of consultations the same day. An important section of opinion in London favours Mrs. Thatcher’s presence, especially since Mr. Mitterand is attending. 

The West German Chancellor, Mr Helmut Kohl, has conveyed his inability to get away from Bonn daring the week. However, Bonn is expected to be represented at the summit by the country's  President, Mr. Karl Carsten. A question mark still hangs over the participation of Italy. But New Delhi is hoping that Rome might still exercise its option wisely and come. A big question mark also hung over the participation of the East European countries until a few days ago, causing disappointment in South Block. Most of these countries seemed inclined to take the cue from Moscow, which had its own difficulty. The situation has since changed. At least three of these countries have taken a fresh look at Mrs Gandhi's invitation and are expected to participate in the meet. Poland has decided to send President Jablonski and Bulgaria its First Vice President, Mr Petartanchev, who is said to have the status of Prime Minister. Hungary, too, has broadly indicated its willingness to participate. A word in regard to the level of representation is awaited.

Well over 20 leaders of the Non-Aligned countries have conveyed their decision to attend the summit as co-hosts. The number would have been larger but for two reasons. First, most NAM members have told Mrs Gandhi in so many words: “You as Chairperson represent all of us. You alone need to be there.” (Those who are attending are doing no on New Delhi's insistence that NAM should be adequately represented at the Summit.) Second, leaders of several Non-Aligned countries are unable to attend because of unavoidable circumstances. President Zia of Pakistan and President Jayewardene of Sri Lanka initially indicated that they would come. Both have since regretted their inability to do so because of internal developments. (A special message was even sent to Mr Jayewardene through Mr G. Parthasarthy.) Dr Kenneth Kaunda wanted to come. But Zambia is now busy with its Presidential election. Nigeria has had its Presidential poll. However, its President has informed New Delhi about his preoccupation with law and order problems. He may still be able to come. In the case of Kenya, the summit clashes with the opening of the country's Parliament.

Nevertheless, New Delhi is happy that all the regions of the globe will be represented adequately among those who have agreed to attend -- and will enable the summit to carry one stage forward its struggle for peace and development in accordance with the ideas and thrusts spotlighted in the New Delhi Message and the Economic Declaration. Prominent among those who have informed Mrs Gandhi that they will attend the New York meeting are President Nyrere of Tanzania, King Hassan of Morocco, the Prime Minister of Iran, Mr Mir Hossein Musawi, the Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, Mr Tariq Aziz, and the Presidents of Argentine and Nicaragua. A significant suggestion mooted by Mrs Gandhi should go a long way in strengthening NAM and creating the desired atmosphere for its success. She has proposed to the heads of Non-Aligned countries unable to attend the summit to visit New York subsequently and make it a point to address the UN Assembly and put across the NAM viewpoint forcefully.

Not a few persons ask: What precisely is India seeking at the summit? The Foreign Office prefers to answer the question first by indicating what it is not wanting. It is not seeking newspaper headlines, propaganda advantage, resolutions, communiques or declarations. There will be no TV cameras around.) It wants only one thing: a serious search for ways and means to help find agreed and honourable solutions to the various political and economic issues that have brought mankind to the brink of disaster. As NAM's Chairperson, Mrs Gandhi has decided against any set agenda for the summit meeting and has also requested the participants against set speeches. The summiteers will meet for their first consultations from 4 to 6 pm on September 27 with the option of continuing as long as required. These consultations are expected to be continued informally over lunches and dinners -- or in groups of two, three or more in the elegant Indonesian or other UN lounges, where much of UN business is normally transacted behind the scenes.

Thoughts will also be directed towards specific issues of war and peace, such as Palestine, Iran-Iraq war, Namibia and Nicaragua. King Hassan of Morocco, who heads the Arab group on Palestine is expected to meet Mrs Gandhi, who chairs the NAM group on the question. (King Hassan invited Mrs Gandhi to visit Rabat on her way to New York. But she has regretted her inability to do so because of her prior commitment to visit Cyprus, Greece and France.) Mrs Gandhi is also expected to hold talks with Mr Musawi and Mr Tariq Aziz on the Iran- Iraq war. But the important thing Mrs Gandhi and her aides are looking forward to is to get the heads of Government to meet and interact informally. (President Reagan's address to the UN should help the process.) Once this happens, ideas will begin to flow. The important thing is that the ball has been set rolling and a major step taken towards strengthening the UN at a critical time, As the Foreign Secretary, Mr Maharaj Krishna Rasgotra, told me: “The Prime Minister's idea has succeeded. The bench mark has been crossed. Now it is only a question of bonus for the greater good of the world.” --- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)