By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The United States has suggested that given its experience in democratic governance in small towns and villages, India could help in Libya’s democratic transition process in the post-Gadhafi period.
“We don’t have the menu of what the Libyans might need,” State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland told reporters ahead of Friends of Libya meeting in Paris Wednesday to be attended by representatives from more than 30 countries and multilateral organizations.
“But India, for example, has lots of experience in democratic governance, has lots of experience in working in small towns and villages on democracy issues,” she said when asked what was US expectation from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) particularly India.
“That might be one thing, but I don’t want to get ahead of what the TNC (Transitional National Council) might request.”
Asked if the TNC was ready to accept back workers from India who had to leave Libya when the fighting broke out, the spokesperson said, “That’s a question you’re better off asking the TNC.”
But “presumably that would say good things about stability and opportunity in a new Libya, so let’s see where that situation goes.”
In response to a question about India’s ties with Syria, Nuland said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a few weeks ago “spoke to the fact that she would like to see India do more. I’ll leave it at that.”
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])