anirudhsankar/PMIndia-SpeechDataset-2004-2024 huggingface dataset:
PM's speech at the interaction with Indian Nationals and prominent Indologists
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 26, 2006 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

PM's speech at the interaction with Indian Nationals and prominent Indologists Hindi Version "I am very happy to be here this afternoon to be with you. It gives me great pleasure to interact with people who are doing so much to reinforce the friendly relations that exist between India and Uzbekistan. Indians abroad have achieved remarkable success and have earned goodwill for their country. With your professionalism, sincerity, hard work and competence you have made India synonymous with quality and dependability particularly in the context of high technology areas. India recognizes the significant contribution being made by non-resident and overseas Indians in the development of our own economy and commerce. Acknowledging the importance of your work and to address your specific requirements, one of the first decisions of my Government was to set up the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to address the concerns of the Indian diaspora. We have taken several initiatives which have found a positive resonance amongst Indians abroad. The scheme of dual nationality is now operational. The Ministries concerned are constantly looking at simplifying procedures in insurance, investment, purchase of property etc. for Indians residing abroad. I am happy that the Government of Uzbekistan has offered our nationals a congenial working environment. I had very productive discussions with President Islam Karimov this morning. The relations between our two countries are very close and historic. By your own every day interaction with your Uzbek colleagues, you also contribute in cementing these ties. For a long time, Tashkent has been a centre of studies of our languages and history. Many prominent scholars who have dedicated their lives to study and research about India are here today, and I convey my sincerest tribute to them for their sustained efforts to build links between the academics and institutions of our two countries. The Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies has important programmes of studies and research on subjects related to our country. Recognising their valuable contribution, I am pleased to announce that we will assist in the creation of a Centre of Indian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies which, I propose, may be named after Mahatma Gandhi. I also take this opportunity to invite you to come to India and to build linkages with Indian academic and research institutions which will make a lasting contribution to our relationship. Friends, I wish you success in your activities and I hope that your bonds with India will continue to be strong and productive."
PM's remarks at the inauguration of Jawaharlal Nehru India Uzbekistan Centre for Information Technology
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 26, 2006 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

PM's remarks at the inauguration of Jawaharlal Nehru India Uzbekistan Centre for Information Technology Hindi Version "I am deeply honoured to be in your midst today for the inauguration of the India Uzbekistan Centre for Information Technology named after the great illustrious son of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who had the vision to lay the foundations of India's scientific and technological advancement. Investment in education and training is an investment in the future of a country. It is a tool for generation of employment and improvement in the quality of life of the people. Progress is linked to fully exploiting the opportunities created by the use of Information and Communication Technologies. India has made considerable strides in the sphere of Information Technology. The fruits of Information Technology are now being harvested in rural India as well. We are also working to take connectivity to the remotest corners of India. Modern technology has reduced the barriers of time and space and it enables countries to leapfrog stages of development. Countries therefore, must redouble efforts to bridge the knowledge gap, both within themselves and with advanced countries. It is only then that our youth and scientists can participate fully in the global market place of ideas, knowledge and information. I am confident that this Centre will train knowledge workers in Uzbekistan to enable them to compete with confidence in the global market place. Friends, it gives me great pleasure to join your Prime Minister Mirziyayev in inaugurating this Centre which symbolizes the modern and dynamic face of India- Uzbekistan friendship and cooperation."
PM's opening remarks at the Joint Press Conference with Uzbekistan President
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 26, 2006 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

PM's opening remarks at the Joint Press Conference with Uzbekistan President Hindi Version "President Karimov and I have had very fruitful discussions this morning, continuing upon our last meeting in New Delhi one year ago. We are satisfied with the steady growth in our multi-dimensional relationship. Central Asia is strategically an important region and has historically been at the cross roads of the Eastern and Western worlds. We wish for continued stability and economic prosperity for our friends in Uzbekistan. We have had very close political and economic relations and are cooperating in activities for training of defence personnel. Both our countries face the common threats of terrorism, fundamentalism and religious extremism and President Karimov and I have resolved to continue to work together to combat these dangers. During the talks we have decided to qualitatively enhance our commercial and economic relationship. India's strengths are in the service industry and human resources development. The Jawaharlal Nehru India Uzbekistan Centre for Information Technology to be inaugurated this afternoon would be a symbol of our commitment to support Uzbekistan in training qualified personnel for emerging industries. I am happy that President Karimov has accepted our offer to set up an Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Tashkent which would be an important training ground for young businessmen and would lead to generation of employment. We are also taking an initiative to provide satellite based tele-education and tele-medicine connectivity between India and Uzbekistan which would be a demonstration of cutting edge technological and human resource cooperation between our two countries. I am also happy to note that we have agreed to cooperate in the fields of oil and natural gas exploration and production. We see Uzbekistan as an important element in any effort to optimally utilize the energy resources of Central Asia. India will also cooperate with Uzbekistan in exploration and development of its vast geological and mineral resources. I thank President Karimov and the people of Uzbekistan for their traditional warmth and affection for India. Both our countries are committed to regional stability, world peace and economic growth and prosperity of our peoples. We will continue to work together to achieve our common objectives."
PM's opening statement at Joint Press Interaction along with German Chancellor at Hannover
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 23, 2006 Hannover, Germany

PM's opening statement at Joint Press Interaction along with German Chancellor at Hannover Hindi Version "I would like to express my sincere appreciation to H.E. Chancellor Merkel and the German government for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to me and my delegation. India and Germany enjoy excellent bilateral relations and are actively working to strengthen our Strategic Partnership. My visit here reflects our continued interest and commitment to work with Germany under Chancellor Merkel in order to further broaden and deepen our understanding on various bilateral and international issues. As the Chancellor has mentioned, we had very useful discussion about our bilateral relations. We also exchanged views about regional issues and the current international situation. I do believe that these have helped us reach a better understanding of each other's position on all these issues. Germany is one of our biggest trading partners and has made large investments in India. Many of our Indian companies are also expanding their business presence in Germany. The rapid growth of the Indian economy offers significant opportunities to both sides to transform our economic ties. The Hannover Trade Fair with India as the partner country and the Indo-German Business Summit, which will be held tomorrow will provide a further momentum to our economic cooperation, especially in the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. In the energy sector, we welcome the setting up of the high level Indo-German Energy Forum with participation of both governments, as well as public and private sectors. The Forum will enable the two countries to focus on practical cooperation in the fields of energy efficiency, clean coal technology and renewable energy. India and Germany have long-standing cooperation in the field of science & technology. We have agreed to work actively toward setting up a jointly funded Indo-German Science Centre in Delhi. India and Germany share a common perspective on terrorism. India has been a victim of terrorism for many years now. We appreciate Germany's understanding of our position and look forward to continued cooperation on counter-terrorism. Our two countries also have a common vision of a cooperative, rule-based multipolar world order. During our discussions, we re-iterated our mutual determination to continue efforts within the framework of the G-4 for the reform and expansion of the UN Security Council without which the overall reform of the United Nations will remain incomplete. I have invited Chancellor Merkel to visit India next year for continuing the tradition of annual summit meetings. I look forward to working with her to provide further impetus to our strategic partnership."
PM's statement prior to his departure for Germany & Uzbekistan
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 22, 2006 New Delhi

PM's statement prior to his departure for Germany & Uzbekistan Hindi Version "I will be visiting Hannover and Berlin at the invitation of Chancellor Merkel of Germany. My visit is part of the annual summit meetings between our two countries as part of our strategic partnership. During my visit, I will also be calling on President Horst Kohler. My visit to Germany will provide an opportunity to further strengthen relations with one of the major European powers and a valuable partner on global issues. Germany is one of the world's foremost trading nations. It is one of India's most important business partners and among the major foreign investors in our country. My visit to Germany coincides with India's participation as a Partner Country in the prestigious Hannover Fair 2006, which is the world's largest technology exhibition. India participated as a Partner Country the last time at the Hannover Fair 22 years ago. Over 300 Indian Companies including PSUs, large corporate houses as well as small and medium enterprises and all the main Chambers of Commerce and Industry will be participating in this event, which will show case the vast potential for partnership that India offers for trade, industry and technological collaboration through mutual benefit. I will also be inaugurating the Indian Pavilion. On my way back, I will be paying a bilateral visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Islam Karimov. Both countries share longstanding ties and deep rooted cultural and civilizational links. Uzbekistan is an important country in the Central Asian region which we consider part of our extended neighbourhood. We hope to build on our traditional ties in providing them with new meaning and substance including in the political, economic, defence, energy, science and technology and cultural fields."
PM's Opening Remarks at the Joint Press Interaction with President Hamid Karzai
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 10, 2006 New Delhi

PM's Opening Remarks at the Joint Press Interaction with President Hamid Karzai Hindi Version "Your Excellency, Mr. President, Ladies and gentlemen of the press - It is always a pleasure to meet President Karzai and exchange views and experiences with him. In our meeting just before this, we had very fruitful discussions on a wide range of bilateral issues and matters of mutual interest to the people of this region. I took the opportunity to compliment the President, and through him, the people of Afghanistan on the successful completion of Parliamentary elections in Afghanistan. This is an important landmark in Afghanistan's progress in becoming a sovereign, democratic country. During our talks, I reaffirmed India's commitment to extending full cooperation to the people and Government of Afghanistan in their reconstruction efforts. I informed President Karzai that India will provide additional assistance valued at US$ 50 million to Afghanistan. This amount will thereby raise the total assistance we have committed to US$ 650 million; the amount of US$ 200 million has already been spent on various projects. Three Memoranda of Understanding have been signed today, for promoting cooperation in Rural Development, Education Exchange Programme and on Standardisation. These are reflective of our broad-based involvement with Afghanistan's development. We also discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and expressed concern at the increased terrorist activities in some parts of the country. The President of Afghanistan and I reviewed our cooperation in a regional setting as well. I welcomed Afghanistan's entry into SAARC, as decided at the last summit meeting. It is a particular privilege for us that the first SAARC summit in which Afghanistan shall participate will be in India early next year. We have also agreed that India will host the second Regional Economic Reconstruction Conference for Afghanistan in New Delhi in November this year. I should note that we are particularly happy to see the large business delegation for Afghanistan that is accompanying President Karzai. Its members will have a joint meeting with our Business Chambers later today. We would like to encourage such interaction and in order to encourage trade and investment ties, we shall consider establishing a Line of Credit facility of US$ 50 million. We have also decided to set up a Joint Committee of the Commerce Ministers of the two countries to review the implementation of the bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement and promote bilateral trade. Before closing, I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the Afghan artisans who have come to India for the Festival of Afghanistan which will be inaugurated tomorrow by President Karzai. Mr. President, may I now invite you to say a few words to the press after which we could invite some questions. Thank you".
PM's speech at the banquet in honour of Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: March 21, 2006 New Delhi

PM's speech at the banquet in honour of Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia Hindi Version "It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you Madam Prime Minister and the members of your delegation as honoured guests in India. Your visit is testimony to the tremendous importance that both our countries attach to our bilateral relationship. We have just concluded an intensive and useful exchange of views on the full range of issues that are important in our bilateral ties. As we are friends and neighbours, this encompasses all subjects. Our dialogue was most useful in understanding each other's point of view and in making progress on various issues. Some important Agreements have been signed and these will provide the right framework for guiding and expanding economic and commercial cooperation between our two countries. We believe sincerely that India and our neighbours all have a common destiny. One cannot prosper without the other and it is only through cooperation within the region that we can compete outside it. We believe it is in our fundamental interest to see a strong, stable and economically strong Bangladesh making its full contribution to regional development. There is a huge reservoir of goodwill for Bangladesh in India. After all, our culture, language, history and heritage have many common roots. Our people recognize our separate and distinct national identities but draw from a shared consciousness, and cherish a common desire for a life of peace and dignity and for cultural and social upliftment. We can never forget that in the past we have stood shoulder to shoulder to defend these aspirations that we hold so dear. Both countries have rich intellectual traditions and we must promote much greater interaction between our scholars, intellectuals and opinion makers. It is a matter of satisfaction that today we are able to see Bangladeshi TV channels in India and I understand that they give our local channels stiff competition. The same poetic voice has given expression to our national identities and to our souls. Our national anthems have been composed by the same great poet, Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam is as revered in India as he is in Bangladesh. Liberal and democratic values are cherished in both countries. The artistic wealth contained in Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti is a heritage for both our countries. It is on the basis of these fundamental beliefs that we must build our bilateral relations and take them forward. As we rededicate ourselves to ever stronger friendship between India and Bangladesh, I wish to conclude with the lines from that immortal poet Kazi Nazrul, whose message of hope is an inspiration and a challenge; Ushar duware hani aghat, amra anibo naya probhat, Amra gocchabo timiro raat, badhar bindhachal" (Striking at the door of dawn, we would usher in a new morning, We would overcome the dark night and the mountains of obstacles.)
PM's opening remarks at press interaction with Australian Prime Minister
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: March 6, 2006 New Delhi

PM's opening remarks at press interaction with Australian Prime Minister Hindi Version "It is a pleasure to welcome Prime Minister John Howard and his delegation to India. This is Prime Minister Howard's second visit to India and he has just completed ten years as Prime Minister and I congratulate him on that important milestone. Prime Minister John Howard and I have completed a very cordial and productive discussion today. We exchanged views on a number of important bilateral and regional issues. Our relations with Australia are developing well in diverse areas including trade in goods and services, investment, defence, security, education, science and technology, environment, civil aviation and sports. Today, we have signed six Agreements including a Trade and Economic Framework, an Air Services Agreement, MoUs on Cooperation in Defence, Customs and Biotechnology and a Letter of Intent on the establishment of a Strategic Research Fund. We look forward to the further enhancement of our bilateral ties and closer cooperation in regional fora. The emerging regional architecture is an important focus of both countries and we have committed to working together to strengthen peace and cooperation in the Asia Pacific region. Relations between Australia and India are evolving into a strong partnership and India is committed to working with Australia to upgrade our bilateral relationship in all areas. May I now invite you Mr. Prime Minister to make some comments if you wish, before we invite questions."
PM's opening remarks at the Joint Press Conference with US President Bush
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: March 2, 2006 New Delhi

PM's opening remarks at the Joint Press Conference with US President Bush Hindi Version Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, President Bush and I have completed very cordial and productive discussions this morning. We reviewed the status of our cooperation, including the agenda that we set on July 18, 2005. The Joint Statement that will be shared with all of you today contains a number of announcements and initiatives that underline the significant progress in our relationship. Many of the areas that our cooperation now covers are central for India's national development. They include energy, agriculture, science & technology, trade & investment, high-technology, health and a clean environment. This is an ambitious agenda, one that is befitting our growing strategic partnership. When implemented, they will make a real difference to the lives of our people. The President and I had an opportunity to review the global situation in our talks. As you are all aware, India and the United States are working together increasingly on global issues. This is not just good for our two countries but also benefits the international community as we can complement each others capabilities and share responsibilities. President Bush is admired for his strong position on terrorism and I was particularly pleased that we agreed on the need to root out terrorism, of which India has been a major victim. We discussed the progress made in the implementation of our understanding on Civil Nuclear Cooperation of July 18, 2005. I conveyed to the President that India has finalized the identification of civilian facilities to which we had committed. I was pleased to hear from the President that he now intended to approach the US Congress to amend US laws, and the Nuclear Suppliers Group to adjust its guidelines. We will be starting discussions with the IAEA in regard to fashioning, an appropriate Safeguards Agreement and subsequently and Additional Protocol. You will appreciate I cannot say more now while Parliament is in session. Before concluding, I would like to express my warm appreciation for the personal interest shown and leadership role that President Bush has played in transforming our ties. I have met the President a number of times and on each occasion, I have admired his vision, his resolve and his commitment to our bilateral relations. Our discussions today make me confident that there are no limits to the Indo-US partnership. May I invite you, Mr. President, to make your remarks?
PM's opening remarks to the Indo- US CEO's Forum
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: March 2, 2006 New Delhi

PM's opening remarks to the Indo- US CEO's Forum Hindi Version Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have already welcomed President George Bush and Mrs Bush on this their frist visit to India. I would now like to welcome the US CEO's who have traveled to Inda for this meeting. The President and I have just concluded our official discussions and I am sure he shares my pleasure in being able to meet with the CEO's group. The establishment of this group last year was an important initiative aimed at creating a parallel track in which the private sectors of the two countries could interact and lay out a road map for cooperation. I would like to thank the two Co-Chairs Mr. William Harrison and Mr. Ratan Tata  and their colleagues for the work done in preparing the report which they will now present. I have been briefed on the main recommendations and I am happy to say that some of the recommendations are already reflected in the decisions which the President and I have taken today. I will have more to say on the other recommendations a little later. I now invite President Bush to share his thoughts and initiate the discussion.