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Vajpayee arrives in Italy to hardsell India

Y Siva Sankar in Rome

A large ministerial, diplomatic and business contingent led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee touched down in Rome, Italy, at 1730 IST, marking the beginning of a five-day effort at selling the concept of a resurgent India to the European Union in general, and Italy and Portugal in particular.

Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha told mediapersons on board Air-India 001, the special flight carrying the Indian team, that the European tour will intensify existing contacts and focus attention on expanding trade in newer areas -- new economy sectors like information technology, biotechnology, food processing and areas with immense investment potential like infrastructure, hydrocarbons, oil and petroleum.

"We will also work at evolving a mechanism for a new international financial architecture to ensure that global crises do not recur," he said.

"India has a role to play in this. We have been exchanging information with other developing countries on this and members of the G-20," he added.

Some issues likely to be discussed in the interaction with Italian, Portuguese and European Union leaders in the next few days are anti-dumping, non-tariff trade barriers, agri-subsidies, international security, nuclear non-proliferation and terrorism.

Sinha said India's increasing interest in Europe for furthering trade should not be construed as a move away from the United States. This, he added, in no way jeopardises the positive atmosphere created in the wake of US President Bill Clinton's visit to India in March. "There is demand for trained, skilled Indian information technology professionals in various countries. Germany is very keen. So are Japan and several other countries. India has enough professionals to meet the demand. So our march towards Europe would not be at the cost of our interests vis-à-vis the US," he told rediff.com

Nand Kishore Singh, secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, felt Italy is significant for India because of its success in privatisation/divestment of public sector enterprises and fiscal rectitude. "We can study their experience and learn a thing or two. Italy is also known for its success in implementation of things like Employee Stock Ownership Plans," he said.

External affairs ministry officials said Vajpayee's meeting with Pope John Paul II on Monday would be a courtesy call. They sought to downplay reports that the encounter was scheduled to assuage the feelings of the Catholic community in India that has been facing attacks of late from suspected Hindu fundamentalists.

The European Union, comprising 15 nations, is India's largest trading partner, accounting for about 25 per cent of India's exports and about 45 per cent of foreign investment in India.

Italy is set to lead the European Commission from 2001 while Portugal is the EC's current president.

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