Remarks

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Pledges America's Solidarity with India

Secretary Rice visited New Delhi on December 3, 2008, bringing condolences to the Indian people and the Government for the attacks in Mumbai. At a joint press conference with India's Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee, she said "the President of the United States, the American people want India to know that the United States stands in solidarity with the people of India. I come with condolences for those who have lost their lives, those who have been maimed, for their families, for the people of Mumbai, for the ordeal through which they've just been, and for the people of India." "I think that Americans, perhaps as well as any, understand...the feelings that run so deep at a time like this, having experienced the attacks of September 11th.  We certainly understand too that there is a strong demand for bringing the perpetrators of such a crime to justice, and a deep desire to prevent any further attacks from taking place. And Minister, I came also to pledge the cooperation of the United States in both those tasks. We are going to work very closely with you in any way that we can to try and get to the bottom of what happened, and then to help you to act on that, but also recognizing that in matters of terrorism, it is not just a matter of the punishment of the crime that has taken place. It is also a matter of preventing these terrorists, who continue to plot and plan, from perpetrating further crimes and further attacks," Secretary Rice asserted.
 
The Secretary met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee, and Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram. She also met with Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani of the Bharatiya Janata Party.