It is a welcome feature that almost all the major political parties of Asia are participating. It is a unique occasion of exchange of ideas on various facets of political, economic and social life of Asia.

India has all along promoted mutually beneficial relations among Asian countries. On behalf of the Indian National Congress, led by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, I reiterate our full support to cooperation among Asian countries. India has all along tried its utmost to promote peace, development and mutual cooperation in Asia.

As for India’s relations with China, I will not be mincing words if I say that India’s premier political party — the Indian National Congress, was behind all moves to promote friendship and understanding with China.

From Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, to Rajiv Gandhi, India-China relationship is a saga of a continuous effort to promote understanding and goodwill and purposeful relationship with China, to the mutual advantage of both countries and in the interest of peace and development in Asia and in the world.

In February 1979, the then External Affairs of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, paid a landmark visit to China which marked the resumption of political level exchanges with China.

The visit of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to China in December 1988 marked the resumption of political dialogue at the highest level.

From that path-breaking development in 1988, India-China relations were gradually built upon with the focus being on building mutual trust and confidence at the political, social, economic and people-to-people levels.

All these visits have strengthened our relationship much to the advantage of both countries as also to the advantage of the entire Asian region.

One area in which India and China have been working together very closely is environment. It was on account of the affinity of ideas relating to environmental concerns that India and China forge unity among G-77 at Kyoto and the signing of Kyoto Protocol on Reduction of Emissions became possible.

I want to say with a certain amount of emphasis and confidence that our Leader and Chairperson of the Indian National Congress Parliamentary Party, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, wants the relationship with China and other countries in Asia to grow for peace and development in the continent.

Mrs. Gandhi also wishes this Conference all success.