Clinton's Visit to South Asia: Indian Prime Minister Vows Not to Fire Nuclear Weapons First
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Mr. Clinton has begun meeting this morning with India's prime minister, who said his country will never be the first to use nuclear weapons in the disputed region. The U.S. president visited Bangladesh yesterday and he will wind up his trip with a stop Saturday in Pakistan. CNN senior White House correspondent John King is with the president in New Delhi -- John.</s>JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Leon, good morning. That fresh bloodshed in Kashmir one of the major subjects of discussion between President Clinton and Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee, Mr. Vajpayee and other Indian officials suggesting Pakistan was to blame for the bloodshed, Pakistan accusing India of staging the attack to poison the environment as Mr. Clinton prepares to go to Islamabad later this week. The president said he didn't know who was to blame, but he thought the fresh bloodshed presented yet another example of why, after 50 years of dispute over Kashmir, it was finally time, in his view, for the two nations to sit down and try to resolve their differences.</s>WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You cannot expect a dialogue to go forward unless there is an absence of violence and a respect for the line of control. And the last thing that I would say is, I doubt very seriously that there is a military solution to the difficulties that the Kashmiris face, and that makes the deaths of these Seiks all the more tragic and the importance of trying to restart the dialogue all the more important -- not just over this but other issues as well.</s>KING: Now, the two leaders signed a joint statement committing the United States and India to improved relations. Included in their pledges, more economic and political cooperation, including regular summits between the two leaders. Mr. Clinton, however, did not get all he wanted. The United States wants India to give up its nuclear weapons program. Mr. Vajpayee said no. The United States also has concerns about military export controls and other proliferation issues. Those were not resolved here in New Delhi today. Now, before coming here, Mr. Clinton called South Asia the most dangerous region in the world. Prime Minister Vajpayee said he hoped his visitor would leave with a different view.</s>ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER: I'm sure after visiting this part of the world, the president will come to the conclusion that the situation is not so bad as it is made out to be. There are differences. There have been clashes. There is the problem of crosscountry terrorism. Innocent people are being killed, but there is no threat of any war.</s>KING: Differences remain -- significant differences remain, the officials say. But U.S. officials say, don't judge this trip by the tense days just ahead. Instead, they say, the key test of whether the president has succeeded, not only here in India but with his stop in Pakistan, will be whether this volatile region is at least a little calmer a few months from now. John King, CNN, reporting live from New Delhi. Search CNN.com CNNSI.com CNNmoney.com The Web