Bill Clinton: “Well, first, I hope to do something here in Washington to recognize the beginning of what will be a yearlong celebration…”

“Well, first, I hope to do something here in Washington to recognize the beginning of what will be a yearlong celebration of Indian independence. And also, as you know, at some time there will be some overlap in when Pakistan will be celebrating its 50th year of independence, and I think the United States should also be--its presence should be heavily felt in South Asia because of the long relationship we've had with India, to be specific to India, because it's been a democracy all the time, but also because of the enormous potential of South Asia for good if things go well and for ill if things don't. You know, it's not a very hot issue here in the United States, but it's a source of continuing concern to me that the people of Pakistan and the people of India have not been able to work through their differences, because if they could do so, I am convinced that they could quickly begin to enjoy economic growth rates at the level of the highest East Asian communities and be our best partner for the future. So I'm hoping that not only can we observe India's anniversary but that we can be an even better friend in the next 50 years and a more constructive supporter of resolving these difficulties in the near term. Thank you.”