[Judy Woodruff, Cnn Anchor:] U.S. President Bill Clinton wrapped up his visit to India with an appeal for reduced tensions in south Asia, and stronger ties with Washington. Speaking at the stock market in Mumbai, formerly Bombay, Mr. Clinton stressed, quote, "that friends don't have to agree on every issue." Earlier, he administered polio drops to an infant girl and urged tougher action against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The president's next stop: Pakistan, a visit expected to last only five hours. CNN's John Raedler reports.
[John Raedler, Cnn Correspondent:] Pakistan, a country of 135 million people, as many as two-thirds of them illiterate, average income less than $2 a day, the economy crippled by debt and by sanctions. Pakistan is also the world's newest declared nuclear power. What does it most hope to achieve during President Clinton's visit? Relief from U.S. sanctions imposed in response to Pakistan's nuclear program and more recently in response to its military coup.
[Abdul Sattar, Pakistani Foreign Minister:] So we hope that we will have an opportunity to explain to President Clinton the implications and consequences of these sanctions, how these are setting back our own hopes for return to economic stability and for return to good governance.
[Raedler:] Regarding its nuclear program, the Pakistani government says it will accept only those restraints that every other government accepts.
[Sattar:] But on a nondiscriminatory, universal basis, Pakistan is ready to join any nuclear and missile restraint program. I say on a nondiscriminatory basis because we don't believe it is fair that Pakistan should be singled out for any special restraints.
[Raedler:] What room is there for President Clinton to make progress on that most intractable of issues that divide Pakistan and India, namely Kashmir?
[Sattar:] President Clinton has displayed unique qualities to bring parties in a conflict to the negotiating table. So we hope that his great qualities will be in play when he visits south Asia and he will exercise these qualities to bring Pakistan and India into a conflict resolution mode. [voice-over]: As for Pakistan's new military regime restoring Democratic rule, the foreign minister says there will be local district elections later this year. But national elections will have to wait until certain "objective criteria" have been met, such as fixing Pakistan's perilous economy. John Raedler, CNN, Islamabad, Pakistan.