The Hindu : Blackwill's contribution appreciated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 25, 2003

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Blackwill's contribution appreciated

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI April 24. The outgoing U.S. Ambassador to India, Robert D. Blackwill, made "an important contribution'' to remarkably increase the level of Indo-U.S. bilateral engagement, the Foreign Office spokesman said today.

In what amounted to a "certificate'' to Mr. Blackwill, the spokesman said that the Ambassador had clarified his reasons for leaving and there was no basis for "speculative reporting" in the media. He also maintained that the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, and the interlocutors in the Government of India appreciated the Ambassador's efforts to actively pursue the goal set by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the U.S. President, George W. Bush, in November 2002, to advance the bilateral relationship.

The spokesman said the Government of India wished Mr. Blackwill the "very best" for the future. The Ambassador, it may be recalled, has announced that he will be returning to the United States at the end of the summer to resume his academic career.

Separately, the spokesman said the National Security Adviser, Brajesh Mishra, would be visiting Teheran on Friday and Saturday for talks with his Iranian counterpart.

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