I would like to report to the media on my first visit to India at the invitation of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. India, as I said during my visit, is a country which can accurately be described as a cousin of South Africa. I had the privilege of visiting Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi and meeting with senior politicians and academics, including the Minister for External Relations, Mr Shri Anand Sharma, and participating in an

interactive session at the JNU in New Delhi.    

I would like to share my impressions mainly in the form of questions and answers, but I would also like to first share with you briefly my principle observations.

Every encounter in India left a deep impression upon me of the close cultural, political and economic ties between our two countries. I was struck by the generosity of spirit of the Indian people towards South Africa and their knowledge of African affairs. They are cheering us on just as we are cheering them on. Our relationship is strong and I, for one, believe there are unlimited opportunities to develop the so-called South-South relationship. I would like to encourage our provincial and national government to take every opportunity to deepen the links between our two countries. As is often the case in our public life, there is a gap between aspiration and implementation.

I left India with many impressions and memories and I would like to share some of them with you.

Much has been said about the contrast between the dynamism of this Asian Tiger and South Africa's more modest growth. Government investment in human capital and the information superhighway - Bangalore is the Silicon Valley of India - is clearly the main driver of India's economic expansion and I believe we need to make similar policy interventions.  But I also would say that although the pace of economic growth in India is staggering, I have gained a clear understanding of the challenges our friend faces.

The most important, undoubtedly, are how to share the fruits of economic growth and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and to, like us, manage ethnic and religious tensions. This is borne out by the fact that India's second largest spending priority, after defence, is rural development. I was struck by the bold confidence of the leaders whom I met that India would be able to feed her billion people in an environment of global scarcity and environmental degradation.

The country does not have the infrastructure that we, and indeed its chief economic and geo-political rival, China, enjoy. But it is clear to me that global security is dependent on India's succeeding as an undisputed superpower in the twenty-first century. We will sink or rise together.   

I have made available the speeches which I gave in India, but I would like to comment on the most important observation that I made: It was simply extraordinary to experience the invigorating spirit of a consolidated democracy in a post-colonial society which shares so many characteristics of our own.

India, as you will know, is the largest democracy in the world. Its massive size is matched by its vibrancy. Participation in the political process is highly bolstered by a lively media - quite free according to Freedom House - and a multiplicity of properly functioning political parties. Voter choice seems to revolve around genuine public policy preferences, rather than traditional party allegiances.

The government, as we meet this morning, sits on a knife-edge after one of its coalition partners, Left, pulled out due to tensions about India's controversial nuclear treaty.

And in Bangalore, I met briefly with the Chief Minister just before he announced his new cabinet. Excitement was in the air: the excitement of a people who believed that they could influence the direction of their local communities, state and nation.

In South Africa, we talk unceasingly about building the democratic alternative and the essential nature of democracy.  But I don't think we really grasp what is meant by this.

In India, we saw the majesty of democracy unfolding before our eyes in one short week. I would urge anyone who says that sustainable economic growth and democracy are not inexplicably linked to go to India.   

I thank you.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mr Jon Cayzer: 084 555 7144

Liezl van der Merwe: 083 611 7470