This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002682 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2015 
TAGS: PREL KNNP ETTC IN PK UNSC NSSP

SUBJECT: NATWAR LOOKS AHEAD TO UN AND NUCLEAR DISCUSSIONS  IN WASHINGTON 
  Classified By: Ambassador David Mulford, for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: In an April 8 meeting with the Ambassador and  PolCouns, Foreign Minister Natwar Singh offered an upbeat  preview of his April 13-14 meetings in Washington, placing  particular importance on the issues of India's role in the UN  and India's quest for access to US origin nuclear power  technology.  Alluding to the challenges of defending  government policy in a Parliamentary system, Natwar indicated  that this would be a high stakes visit for him and the  US-India relationship.  He spoke very warmly of the  Secretary's recent visit to New Delhi, saying again how 
  SIPDIS  impressed everyone in the GOI had been with her presentation. 
 He echoed these views in an April 8 television interview,  lending credence to the theory that the Foreign Minister's  trip will form part of a wider effort to silence leftist  critics of the US-India partnership.  In his meeting with the  Ambassador, Natwar was surprisingly positive in describing  President Musharraf's support for the April 7 Kashmir bus  launch, but he also worried about the Pakistani President's  plan to grandstand when he comes to Delhi for the April 17  cricket match. End Summary. 
  Strategic Initiative 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Responding to the Ambassador's outline of the US  agenda and goals for the Foreign Minister's April 13-14  meetings in Washington, Natwar expressed hope that the visit  will be as important to the Administration as it is to him. 
He spoke later about the challenges of making policy in a  Parliamentary democracy, describing how India's regional  parties tend to pursue parochial agendas, with a ""loose  cannon"" approach that makes it hard to innovate.  Alluding to  outspoken leftist criticism of the US initiative, Natwar  predicted that Parliamentary skeptics will start asking ""why  did you go to Washington"" questions as soon as he returns. 
(For now this left criticism has mainly a nuisance value, but  it could become more of a problem if the Minister has nothing  to show for his Washington visit.) 
 
¶3. (C) Asked about his own priorities, the Foreign Minister  first raised the issue of India's role in international  institutions.  The Ambassador made clear that we are not at  the point where the US will be making any commitments on UNSC  reform, but noted our intention to continue making ""forward  leaning statements"" about India's role in international  institutions.  Responding to our agenda for the Energy  Dialogue, Natwar said he was pleased ""that some movement is  taking place on the nuclear side.""  The Ambassador noted that  we are looking for movement from India on the NSSP, to  include introduction and passage of export control  legislation during this session of Parliament.  Turning to  the question of Manmohan Singh's travel to Washington, the  Ambassador argued that it would be a mistake to defer this  visit until the UNGA in September, as some in the press have  suggested might happen.  Natwar observed that the PM's  calendar is very full, but said he would work on this, and  noted the high caliber delegation he is taking to Washington,  including Montek Singh Ahulwalia, the PM's key economic  advisor. 
 
¶4. (U) Natwar echoed many of these themes in an April 8  television interview, stating that he welcomed ""the  improvement in our relations and the raising of our relations  to a much higher level.""  He downplayed disagreements with  the US over supply of F-16's to Pakistan, declaring that  India's relationship with the US ""has reached a level of  maturity where we can live with our differences without our  relations being affected adversely.""  He emphasized that ""no  aspect will be left out"" of his discussions in Washington. 
The Foreign Minister also disavowed earlier statements that  ""as a non-aligned country, India could not be the natural  ally of a NATO power,"" dismissing it as a relic of the ""old  Natwar.""  He emphasized that as ""the Foreign Minister of  India, it is my principal duty to ensure that India's vital  national interests are never compromised and for that it is  essential for us to have the closest relations with the  United States."" 
 
¶5.  (C) GOI insiders tell us the ""new Natwar"" is part of a  strategy to bring Leftist opponents of the US-India  relationship around.  Proponents of closer India/US ties  believe that Natwar has solid credentials with the Left and  can act as a ""stalking horse"" for change in policy.  The key  to this strategy is a successful Washington visit that rebuts  those who contend that the US initiative is just empty  rhetoric. 
  Upbeat on the Kashmir Bus 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Turning to the April 7 Kashmir bus launch, Natwar  commented that ""if it hadn't happened yesterday, it wouldn't  have worked at all.""  He noted that ""the terrorists were  convinced we'd not go through with it"" and recalled how even  the BJP was calling for postponement after the April 6 attack  in Srinagar.  He was grateful for US offers of security  assistance.  The Foreign Minister was surprisingly positive  about Musharraf's role, complementing the Pakistani President  for ""taking a decisive view"" even though some in the GOP  opposed it.  ""The bus couldn't have gotten on the road  without him,"" the Minister added.  Natwar was more skeptical  about Musharraf's plans to visit Delhi (a trip that will  begins as the Foreign Minister steps off the plane from  Washington).  Noting that the visit has grown from a few  hours to ""2 days and 2 nights,"" Natwar predicted that cricket  will now be a ""side show.""  He noted that the Pakistanis have  already invited a group of journalists to breakfast, and  predicted that Musharraf will ""hold forth on Kashmir.""  ""We'll talk to him,"" Natwar added, clarifying that  Musharraf's ""harping on Kashmir"" is accepted as part of the  dialogue process. 
MULFORD  "