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New Day Sunday

President Obama To Speak In India

Aired January 25, 2015 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. President Obama is receiving a warm welcome in India. State visit officials now calling it a new era in U.S. and India relations.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: We are waiting for the president and India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, to hold a joint statement. We got live pictures here of the room in which that will happen in New Delhi. It was originally scheduled for 5:50 Eastern and pushed to 6:15 Eastern and we will bring you those comments live.

MALVEAUX: Good morning, everyone. I'm Suzanne Malveaux in for Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to be with you this morning. President Obama scheduled to speak in a few moments from now. He arrived in New Delhi this morning. Prime Minister Modi greeted him at the tarmac.

As we have discussed this morning, it's not usually protocol for the prime minister to come to the airport, to the tarmac to welcome the president. But it shows the personal friendship between these two men. He met the India's president and visited the presidential palace.

MALVEAUX: President Obama also visiting the memorial to India's father of the nation, of course, this for a beautiful wreath laying ceremony and tree planting ceremony as well. You see it there. He is going to be the first U.S. leader to attend India's Republic Day Parade that is happening tomorrow. He is also the first U.S. president to visit India twice.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk more about the president's visit. White house correspondent, Michelle Kosinski, is live from New Delhi. We also have CNN law enforcement analyst, Tom Fuentes, is on the phone from Washington.

MALVEAUX: Michelle, let's start off with you. We are waiting for both leaders to make their respected prepared statements. We know there are a lot of very important issues that have been on the plate there and they have been talking behind the scenes. Two things, Michelle, a possible nuclear deal and also talking climate change. What kind of details do you have what we might learn this morning? MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Those are real possibilities. The big headline today in India, though, coming from India officials, hasn't been confirmed by the White House, is that there has been a deal reached between the U.S. and India on nuclear defense and nuclear reactors being built here into interest and that something that has been worked on more than a decade by the U.S.

There have been some stipulations on both sides that have caused an impasse and the deal has really been stalled until about 2008, but what the India press s to go forward. On the India side, they have a liability law that has been in effect and changing that law is hugely unpopular with the India Congress.

That has been something that has been worked on for more than a decade by the U.S. There have been some stipulations on both sides that have caused an impasse and the deal has really been stalled until about 2008. But what the Indian press is reporting is that there has been some relaxation on both sides allowing this to go forward.

On the Indian side, they have a liability law that's been in effect and changing that law is hugely unpopular with the Indian congress. That's been part of this big impasse. But the reporting is that that's been relaxed.

We don't know the details of how exactly because the Congress hasn't wanted to change it. It's possible that India has now created an insurance pool to take care of the liabilities that would otherwise be faced by companies that wanted to build reactors here.

The U.S. and France have been wanting to get in on the marke here, but because of that liability they faced, they weren't able to do it and just seen as not feasible. The U.S. side, they have been demanding all nuclear material coming to India for use here had been to be tracked by the U.S. government.

It's being reported that that, too, has been relaxed, but we are really waiting to hear, first of all, the official announcement that a deal has actually been reached this time, and then the details of it.

It's unclear whether this is going to be, you know, in this -- the talk that they are going to give to the press, but it seems like that is a point of it. This is the big headline today in India.

MALVEAUX: Michelle, you bring up an excellent point. If I could ask you just a quick follow up with that. It was back in March of 2006, I actually covered President Bush's trip to India with then the leader Singh. This was something he was trying to accomplish in 2006, that nuclear deal.

What do you suppose is the breakthrough here? Do you think two leaders and two new men who have that kind of relationship to make something like this work, or do you think it's the political and international climate that we are in today that we could actually see something like this move forward? KOSINSKI: Right, great question. I think it's probably some of both. I mean, Modi being the new prime minister. He is seen as a reformer who really wants to modernize those parts of India that are not. He has been traveling around and it's written he has been promising every state that he visits 24-hour electricity.

I mean, I think that is interesting for us in the states to hear that that is not a reality yet for many parts of India, but that is what he wants to accomplish. And other governments are hearing him make those promises and thinking something is going to have to happen.

They have to have a lot more nuclear power some way of meeting those promises. That laid the groundwork for some kind of deal to be made. It's really a possibility this has happened now and also just modernizing the relationships.

After more than a decade of working on a deal like this both sides possibly now coming to a realization there has been to give and take and relaxer of those strictures on both sides.

BLACKWELL: Let's bring Tom Fuentes. Tom, before the top of the hour, we discussed the 2008 Mumbai attacks and what the president has described as safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan. I wonder if this is a personal affinity with the prime minister in India and comments he made and what we expect from him in minutes will make the fight in Pakistan more difficult for the U.S.?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST (via telephone): I think, Victor, they want at least behind the scenes talk about that. Whether they bring that up here, to the extent they talk about it here, I'm not sure what is coming.

The concern if people are unaware of the 2008 attack, the terrorists just were able to hostage a fishing boat off the shores of Pakistan and take that boat across the water a short distance to the port of Mumbai and then killed the crew and the captain of that boat and they were ashore with their guns and grenades and GPS's to start the attack that lasted all weekend.

You know, when we talk about foreign fighters that can go from Syria and Iraq to France and England or across the Atlantic to Canada and the U.S., for India, the proximity is so much closer that it's a great concern. It was very easy for that group to just go across the water and land on their shores and start attacking.

So, you know, the vulnerability felt by India by that attack, if it's not Czechs and Pakistan, it makes them very afraid of that.

BLACKWELL: All right, Tom, Michelle, as well, stay with us for just a moment. As you see on the right side, live pictures here, many of the dignitaries, both the U.S. and Indian officials coming into the room.

We are expecting in about 7 or 8 minutes, President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come out and offer some comments and it is customary that they would take questions from the press, although that has not been confirmed. We expect that they will. Well, of course, bring those to you live.

Before that starts, though, and we will interrupt, if necessary, let's bring in Jomana Karadsheh and talk about a change to the schedule. The president cut short his visit or will cut short the visit to go on to Saudi Arabia to meet the new King Salman, who took over after the death of King Abdullah.

We've got the 2-minute warning so quickly if you can, Jomana, what can we expect from the visit to Saudi Arabia?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, really an official visit, more ceremonial. We have seen heads of state heading to Saudi Arabia. An important move by the United States to show the highest level of commitment to their relationship with Saudi Arabia, historic ties that are decades long, not only economic ties, but military also coming at a very important time to show continuity in this relationship, to try and force a new relationship with the new monarch at a time that Saudi Arabia is a key ally.

This stable and strong country in the region with so much unrest, whether it is Yemen or to the north ISIS with a threat, they are so important for the United States here showing its commitment after some disagreements between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia over the last couple of years when it comes to regional policies of America here in the Middle East when it comes to issues like the handling of the situation nuclear negotiations with Iran -- Victor.

MALVEAUX: And Jomana, real quick here before the two leaders speak, how do you suppose the very fragile and sensitive subject of human rights will come up between the leaders, if at all. There are still many who say that, you know, Saudi Arabia, including the new king, will go ahead and enforce some of the brutal tactics of discipline inside of that country including beheadings and flagging of those who do not follow their laws.

KARADSHEH: Well, the west has been, including the United States, very cautious. They have been calling for more reforms, Suzanne, in Saudi Arabia. The new king is not really expected to make any drastic changes to what is going on in the country.

He is expected to continue in the same line, same policies of his predecessor King Abdullah. The issue of reforms and human rights and more rights for women and minorities there is going to be something under the spotlight in Saudi Arabia.

But definitely there is no expectation when you talk to experts that there is going to be any major change. Now, the previous king, King Abdullah, was known as a cautious reformer. He did try to do more when it comes to giving women more rights in that country.

But there were marginal gains under King Abdullah according to watchdog groups following the situation in Saudi Arabia, and that is not really expected to change much now. There's a lot of pressure on the royal family, on the monarchs there when it comes from the hard liners and hard line clerics in that country -- Suzanne. BLACKWELL: Of course, this conversation about human rights in Saudi Arabia comes as there is this blogger who has been sentenced to a thousand lashes for allegedly or he was convicted, but allegedly criticizing Islam. He received the first 50.

The weekly flaggings have been postponed, but it's interesting to see if that is part of the conversation when President Obama travels to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday at the end of his trip to India.

Live pictures on your screen from New Delhi. We are waiting for the arrival of President Obama and the India Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We were given the 2-minute warning about 2 minutes ago so we are expecting that they will walk into the room pretty soon.

MALVEAUX: And Victor, one of the colorful things we have been learning about the president's trip is people in India are fascinated about the president's Blackberry and what he uses it for and what kind of messages he is sending.

There has also been a real interest in the first lady as well, Michelle Obama, in the world of fashion. They dress the designers, of the designers, from the designers, in that country of India. So they have clearly been watching the first couple in a way that you would expect. There are all kinds of culture components to this trip as well.

BLACKWELL: When you mentioned cell phones, interesting when the prime minister was in the U.S. last year, he wrote a piece for the "Wall Street Journal" in which he highlighted the possibility of made in India and strengthening the business ties between the two countries. It sounds phenomenal. That his country has gone from 40 million cell phones to 900 million cell phones in a decade.

MALVEAUX: Wow.

BLACKWELL: How attractive would that be to get a manufacturer into India? We, obviously, know that business will be a part of the conversation as this liability law that Michelle Kosinski just talked about a moment ago.

Again, we are waiting to hear from these two. Let's bring in, who do we have on the phone? Give it to me again, Michael. OK, we've got Lieutenant General Mark Hertling on the phone.

I may have to cut you off, sir, but the question is what are we hoping for as it relates to strengthening the strategy between the U.S. and India as it relates to attacking extremism and the terrorism safe havens the president has called them next to Pakistan?

LT. GENERAL MARK HERTLING (RETIRED), FORMER COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. ARMY: That's part of it. Victor, the other piece of this, this is very important, about ten years ago, India was one of the four countries which we, in the military and the national security arena, called the brick countries, that we really had to watch in the 21st Century, Brazil, Russia, India and China. As part of the president's shift to the Pacific, India was one of those countries we wanted to make better coalitions with. A nation of 1.2 billion people, as you said, huge business opportunities. In fact, my other job at a hospital is attempting to do some coordination knowing that about 30 percent of U.S. doctors are actually Indian residents or come from India.

And the fact there is an opportunity to build coalitions because of the intersection between India and China and India and Pakistan as you pointed out. The dynamics of making better relations to this nation is phenomenal with the future within the 21st Century.

MALVEAUX: One of the things, too, we expect they are going to talk about that is going to be potentially groundbreaking is climate change and china has always been frustrated. It's the third largest carbon -- I mean, India is frustrated, third largest carbon polluter after the United States and China.

And it doesn't feel it has to limit its production because it hasn't been a part of the long-term problem we have seen from other industrialized nations. Do we think curtailed because of their reluctance to that take kind of responsibility like the other nations?

HERTLING: That is exactly right. The president just returned from China where he did strike a deal that was monumental in terms of changing the approach toward climate change. If he can get both the Chinese and the Indians to do these kinds of things and the United States has signed up for additional initiatives in this climate chain arena.

It was one of the things he mentioned in the "State Of The Union" address and is an important area they are going to discuss. I think it was instrumental he was planting a tree as part of the welcoming ceremony. Normally a cultural thing for the India is to plant a tree for the future. I think that is the discussions they will have in terms of climate change.

BLACKWELL: That tree planted just a few steps away from where President Bill Clinton planted a tree on his visit to India at the Memorial to Mohammed Gandhi. Stay with us, Lt. General. We are awaiting the arrival of the president and the prime minister. We will try to slip in a quick break, but if they come in, we will interrupt and bring you the speech.

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MALVEAUX: Let's listen in to the President Obama as well as the prime minister of India joint statements out of India. Let's take a listen.

(PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA SPEECH)