India opposes U.S. base

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33455, 9 February 1974, Page 17

India opposes U.S. base

i A 7. P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) ?\EW DELHI, February 8. The Indian Foreign Minister (Mr Swaran Singh) has expressed India's "total opposition'’ to the reported United Stales plan to set up a military naval base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, Agenec France-Bresse reported.

He said that the AngloAmerican agreement to gc ahead with the establishment i of the base on the Britishheld island showed that they did not agree with the views expressed by India, Sri Lanka and other littoral countries including Australia, on keeping the Indian Ocean as a I zone of peace. Mr Swaran Singh’s was the first official Indian reaction to the reported agreement reached between the United States and the United Kingdom to launch a full-fledged base in Diego Garcia. Talking to reporters on his return from a visit to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Mr Swaran Singh indicated that the issue would be discussed by the nonaligned countries shortly. He said that the BritishAmerican proposal was natu- £ a L 1 X^ a _ rnart S r of concern to

India, and also “we believe to the majority of the littoral States in the Indian Ocean.”! He recalled that the non-' aligned countries at the Lusaka and Algiers conferjences were unanimous in I their opposition to any such bases in the area. India had expressed its opposition when the proposal to iopen a communications base lon Diego Garcia was first mooted. Answering another ques-i ition, he said that the brushing aside by. Britain of : India’s views on the issue was of "marginal effect” what I was important was that the naval facilities on the island i were expanded. I Mr Swaran Singh promised that the littoral countries, would continue to mobilise) opinion against the establishiment of any new base in the I ocean, including that on Diego Garcia