États-Unis : Barack Obama offre à l’Inde la reconnaissance qu’elle attendait
Le premier ministre indien, Manmohan Singh, et le président Barack Obama. Crédits photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Le président démocrate a reçu à la Maison-Blanche le premier ministre indien, Manmohan Singh, en visite d’Etat. Il a insisté sur le fait que l’Inde était «une démocratie multiethnique comme les Etats-Unis»

L’Inde ou la Chine? Entre ces deux grandes puissances émergentes, en partie rivales, les Etats-Unis donnaient l’impression d’avoir choisi. C’est en Chine que vient de se rendre Barack Obama, multipliant les révérences et évitant de hausser le ton sur les sujets qui fâchent. «Je vous présente Barack Obama, l’administrateur de nos compagnies de l’Ouest», disait un responsable chinois devant un Obama courbé jusqu’au sol, dans un dessin paru dans un journal de Pittsburgh et aussitôt reproduit dans la presse nationale.

Ce ne sont pas seulement les Américains qui ont pris ombrage de la «servilité» de leur président à l’égard d’une Chine qui tient les Etats-Unis par les cordons de la bourse. A travers toutes sortes de canaux, les Indiens, eux aussi, ont fait connaître leur embarras. L’Inde a vécu une lune de miel avec le prédécesseur d’Obama, George Bush, qui a atteint son apogée peu avant la passation de pouvoir, avec la signature d’un accord entre les deux pays en matière de technologie nucléaire. >>> Luis Lema | Mercredi 25 Novembre 2009

A Place at the State Dinner Table
ADVOCATE.COM: Several prominent gay men and lesbians were among those at the White House Tuesday night for President and Mrs. Obama’s first state dinner, held in honor of India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur. Among those on the 338-person guest list were movie producer David Geffen and his partner, Jeremy Lingvall; longtime activist Urvashi Vaid and her partner, comedian Kate Clinton; Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and his partner, Sean Eldridge; and chair of the U.S. Export-Import Bank Fred Hochberg and his partner, Thomas Healy.
 


State dinners are traditionally held in the state White House’s State Dining Room, but this one was held in a tent outside the White House, complete with chandeliers and views of both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Because Manmohan Singh and his wife are vegetarians, the menu was completely meat free. >>> Advocate.com Editors | Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Obama State Dinner: A Sampling of Guests


President Obama Toasts the Future at White House State Dinner

Indiens Premier: "Pakistan Epizentrum des Terrorismus"
DIE PRESSE: Manmohan Singh wirft Pakistan vor, keine effektiven Maßnahmen gegen islamische Terroristen zu ergreifen. Die Regierung sei entweder "unfähig" oder "unwillig".

Manmohan Singh. Bild dank der Presse
Der indische Regierungschef Manmohan Singh hat Pakistan vorgeworfen, das "Epizentrum" des weltweiten Terrorismus zu sein. Das Nachbarland habe es nicht geschafft, effektive Maßnahmen gegen islamische Terroristen zu ergreifen, sagte Singh der "Financial Times" (Mittwochsausgabe*). "Wir alle wissen, dass das Epizentrum des Terrorismus in der Welt heute Pakistan ist." >>> Ag | Mittwoch, 1. April 2009

FINANCIAL TIMES: *India’s Economy ‘More Durable’ than China['s]

Democracies have a far better chance of sustaining economic reform than one party states Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, has told the Financial Times in a rare top-level assertion of his country’s stance over neighbouring China.

The architect of India’s market liberalisations and a well-respected economist, Mr Singh has placed the long-term success of the world’s largest democracy over the potential fragility of the fastest growing large economy under Communist party rule.

“The Chinese have certain advantages: the fact that it’s a single party government,” Mr Singh said in an interview with the Financial Times before travelling to the G20 meeting in London on Thursday.

“But I do believe in the long run in the fact that India is a functioning democracy, committed to the rule of law. Our system is slow to move but I’m confident that once decisions are taken they are going to be far more durable.”

Mr Singh’s comments come as China is asserting its leadership among emerging markets of the global economic policy debate.

His remarks come as a tacit reminder to China that it lacks one of the key credentials to contribute to the global policy debate – democracy. >>> By James Lamont, Alec Russell and Amy Kazmin in New Delhi | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

David Miliband Accused of 'Arrogance' over Kashmir Comments
Photo of David Miliband courtesy of The Times
THE TELEGRAPH: The Indian Government has lodged a complaint about the "aggressive" and "arrogant" manner of David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, during a recent visit to the country.

Pranab Mukherjee, the Foreign Minister, revealed he had used diplomatic channels to convey his disquiet at statements about terrorism and the disputed regions of Kashmir and Jammu.

He said: "When the Foreign Secretary of the UK visited us, he shared his perceptions about the situations and I equally told him and all the interlocutors that this is your perception – we do not share with it.''

Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, has already been forced to deny reports he had personally written to Gordon Brown to voice his "disappointment" about Mr Miliband's behaviour during his trip there last week.

But a senior official spokesman confirmed that the Government had been irritated by the Foreign Secretary's attitude, adding: "He did not come across as the foreign minister of a friendly nation."

Mr Miliband's suggestion that resolving the Kashmir dispute would make India less vulnerable to attack was greeted with outrage in the Indian media, which accused him of meddling and appeasing terrorists. >>> By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – India >>>