Achievers
Books
Business
Calendar
Community
Controversy
Cuisine
Eateries
Education
Enterprise
Faith
Good Samaritans
Health
Infotech
Media
Memories
Movies
News Archives
Opinion
Specials
The Arts

PM's visit to boost co-operation: Mishra

T V Parasuram in Washington

National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra said on Wednesday that his talks with policy makers in the United States were aimed at giving concrete shape to the framework of co-operation which President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had discussed in New Delhi in March.

"We also discussed the India and Pakistan situation," Mishra told a press conference.

Ruling out any dialogue with Pakistan so long as cross-border terrorism continues, Mishra said, "It is for Pakistan to take steps to restore the spirit of Lahore, and that can be done only by ending cross-border terrorism. Until that happens, there cannot be meaningful talks between India and Pakistan."

On Pakistan's allegations that India is intransigent on talks, he said, "India needs no certificate from anyone in this regard... The [Prime Minister Vajpayee's] bus journey to Lahore was a big proof of that."

He said Indo-Pakistan relations would be part of the discussions during Vajpayee's forthcoming visit, but "it is not going to overtake the agenda".

Mishra said he met Condolezza Rice, the top foreign policy aide to presidential hopeful George W Bush, Jr.

"Rice urged greater Indo-US co-operation in the context of the Chinese threat," Mishra said, adding that he found Rice fully conscious of the benefits of Indo-US co-operation for both countries.

Mishra said Vajpayee would be in New York for the millennium summit on September 6, 7 and 8. He will go to San Francisco around September 11 and then come to Washington for a meeting with the President on September 15. After the official dinner on September 17, he would leave for India, Mishra said.

Asked whether Vajpayee would be addressing a joint session of Congress, Mishra said he could not say. The Indian government has not made any request for such a session, but a number of congressmen and senators have written to the speaker for a joint session, he said. "We leave it to them to decide what to do."

He said he met the chairman of the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives, Congressman Benjamin Gilman, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Peter Goss, the President's National Security Adviser Samuel R Berger and his Economic Adviser Gene Sperling.

Besides, he had meetings with acting Secretary of State Thomas R Pickering and Co-Chairman of the India Caucus Gary Ackerman.

About economic sanctions, he said they were "an impediment" in the realisation of the full potential of co-operation between the two countries.

Mishra, however, said he did not raise the issue in his talks with Berger, Sperling or Pickering. "I doubt very much" that the Indian prime minister will raise the matter either, he told reporters.

"We are not pleading for the lifting of sanctions" though "they are an impediment to further co-operation between the two countries," he said.

Asked whether he raised with Berger the matter of China selling missiles and missile components to Pakistan, Mishra said, "The United States is fully aware of our concerns in this matter."

On the Hizbul Mujahideen's announcement of a three-month ceasefire in Kashmir, Mishra said: "We will take our time looking at it. Of course, so far as talks are concerned, the Government of India is prepared to talk to any Indian citizen."

On a possible military relationship between India and the US, and India's military relationship with Russia, he said, "We have had a very longstanding defence relationship [with Russia]. I do not know what kind of co-operation is possible with the United States because of the sanctions which are in place."

Asked about reports that India had purchased 300 T-90 tanks from Russia, he said the matter had been under negotiation for some time, but he did not know whether the deal had been struck.

He said his talks with Berger covered non-proliferation, the Indo-Pakistan situation, and the economic, scientific and other contents of the coming visit of the prime minister.

PTI

Previous: Dev Anand loses award Hillary gave him

Next: Amar Bhide joins Columbia U

Tell us what you think of this report