The Hindu : Talks cannot succeed if terrorism continues: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 02, 2003

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Talks cannot succeed if terrorism continues: PM

By Amit Baruah

EVIAN (France) June 1. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has conveyed to the U.S. President, George W. Bush, that a successful dialogue with Pakistan is not possible till Islamabad puts an end to cross-border terrorism.

Authoritative sources told correspondents that the dinner hosted by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in St. Petersburg last night saw Mr. Bush agree with Mr. Vajpayee that Pakistan required to end terrorism directed against India. Applauding Mr. Vajpayee's initiative, Mr. Bush reportedly stated that he would take up the issue of terrorism when the Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, met him in the United States later this month.

The conversation between the two leaders lasted a little over five minutes, the sources said adding that the rest was "chit-chat" over a social dinner at which the Italian and Greek Prime Ministers were also present.

On Pakistan, the sources maintained that the "litmus test" for Pakistan ending cross-border terrorism lay in Islamabad taking a "strategic decision" to end the menace. "We have to be convinced that Pakistan has taken a strategic decision to stop cross-border terrorism." Asked if the Government believed that Pakistan had taken such a decision, they said: "Not yet."

They claimed that infiltration across the Line of Control had continued in May — with 10 to 15 persons trying to move in at any given point of time. In May itself, the security forces had killed between 18 and 20 terrorists, the sources maintained.

Asked whether the formal G-8 summit document would make a reference to India and Pakistan, they said they had been assured that the final document would not have any such reference.

On the "summary" of the French Presidency after the G-8 Foreign Ministers meet, the sources said: "Even this should not have happened." The summary, issued on May 23, read: "We welcomed efforts undertaken by both countries to normalise their bilateral relations, following the initiative taken by India and Pakistan's positive response."

"We solemnly called on the two parties to continue on the path of bilateral dialogue and rapprochement... " it said adding that the Ministers' hope that a political process aimed at resolving all their differences through dialogue, in the spirit of the Shimla and Lahore agreements, would ensue.

At their last summit, the G-8 leaders had suggested the course of dialogue to the two countries while calling upon Pakistan to put a permanent stop to terrorist activity originating from territory under its control. The sources believe that this time the G-8 leaders are not likely to make any reference to India-Pakistan issues in the "Chairman's summary".

Asked about their impression of the meeting between Mr. Vajpayee and the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, last night, the sources maintained that it was all about getting to know each other. "You can't come to conclusions after one meeting," they said, stressing, however, that it was a "good, friendly meeting".

On the meetings that the Prime Minister had with different world leaders late on Friday night and on Saturday morning and the discussion on Iraq, the sources said the Indian leadership got the impression that a sizable body of opinion believed that "matters had got bogged down" after the unilateral military action by the U.S. and Britain.

The sources said the Prime Minister did exchange views on Iran — specifically the issue came up during the talks Mr. Vajpayee had with Mr. Putin. The dialogue route remained the best option for Iran and the U.S., they added.

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