Ivanov for peaceful end to Kashmir dispute

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, NOV. 6. While supporting India on cross-border terrorism, Russia has urged restraint in Kashmir and called on Delhi and Islamabad to ``peacefully'' resolve their problems.

``We hope that India and Pakistan will find the strength to take further steps towards normalising bilateral relations and to revive a full-scale negotiating process on the basis of the Lahore accord, which will help settle outstanding issues,'' Russia's Foreign Minister, Mr. Igor Ivanov, said in an exclusive interview to The Hindu.

He reiterated Moscow's ``unchanged'' position on Kashmir, saying, ``We believe this dispute should be resolved peacefully on a bilateral basis laid down in the Shimla agreement, without any foreign interference.'' The emphasis on ``peaceful'' settlement reflects Moscow's concerns that the current heightening of tension on the Line of Control could erupt into an armed conflict between India and Pakistan.

In an effort to preserve the precarious equilibrium in South Asia, Moscow welcomed Pakistan's role in the U.S.-led war against terrorism. ``Pakistan is a weighty element in the geopolitical equation in South Asia. Its influence extends to the southern borders of the CIS (the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States) and the Islamic world as a whole.''

``Moscow has a positive view of the decisions taken by Pakistan's President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, in connection with the terrorist attacks in the United States and Washington's action in Afghanistan. It is to be hoped that this signifies a conscious and sincere turn towards real struggle against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.''

At the same time, Mr. Ivanov regretted Pakistan's failure, prior to the September 11 attacks, in opposing along with Russia the threats originating from Afghanistan of trans- border terrorism, Islamic extremism and drug-trafficking. ``Pakistan has largely become a hostage to radical, extremist elements active on its territory and has found itself in a difficult situation.''

He reiterated Moscow's opposition to the Taliban playing any role in a post-war Afghanistan. ``The preservation of Taliban's political structures, even if in a truncated form, in our view would be fraught with a revival of a springboard of terrorism and drug-trafficking in Afghanistan. Therefore, we believe it inadmissible for the Taliban as a religious-political organisation to be present in future structures of power in that country.''

Mr. Ivanov stressed the role of the United Nations in the fight against terrorism. ``Russia supports collective effort to combat terrorism on the understanding that this effort is undertaken within the framework of international law and in keeping with the U.N. Charter.''

On the potential of cooperation between Russia, India and China, he noted the growing responsibility of the three nations in establishing a system of security and stability in Asia and the whole world. ``Coordinated efforts of the three countries to bring their positions closer, to work out common approaches to regional and international problems in our view would promote the interests of stability in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere in the world.''

``Taking a joint stand against international terrorism can also become an important aspect of interaction among Russia, India and China.'' He hailed the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee's current visit to Russia as ``a milestone event'' that should ``consolidate the new level of strategic partnership attained in relations between Russia and India''.

He called for ``urgent measures'' to boost trade between India and Russia, which has hovered at about $1.5 billion in recent years and has been dominated by raw materials, while supplies of equipment and high-tech items have been ``insignificant''.

Mr. Ivanov emphasised the need to put in place an ``internationally-accepted practice of payments and credits'' in commercial exchanges. ``In this connection, we hope that the Indian side will recognise the guarantees of big Russian banks and we will finally establish an effective mechanism for settling commercial disputes.''

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