- SINGAPORE (Reuters) - India
said Sunday there had been no let-up in cross-border raids by Islamic militants
in Kashmir, dampening hopes of an early summit with nuclear-armed rival
Pakistan.
-
- Defense Minister George Fernandes said relations between
the neighbors were improving and moving slowly toward a summit between
Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf.
-
- "But it's going to take quite some time before these
talks are to commence," he told reporters on the sidelines of an Asian
security conference in Singapore.
-
- Asked what he thought about Pakistan's efforts to crack
down on raids by groups based there into Indian-ruled Kashmir, he said:
"Cross-border terrorism continues. There has not been any let-up on
that."
-
- The two countries came to the brink of war last year
after an attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001 which New Delhi
blamed on Pakistan-based guerrillas fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. Islamabad
denied involvement.
-
- India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three
wars over Kashmir, have since ordered restoration of full diplomatic ties
and air links. India said Monday it was resuming bus services with Pakistan.
-
- Vajpayee, 78, who has promised to make a final bid for
peace in his lifetime, reiterated last week that Pakistan must crack down
on guerrilla groups operating from its soil.
-
- "We want terrorism to end as early as possible,
for the infrastructure of terrorism to be destroyed and the atmosphere
to become good so that talks can take place," Vajpayee said.
-
- Fernandes reiterated that what he called "the right
atmosphere" needed to be created before talks could begin.
-
- He also said India was working to improve trade and military
relations with its giant northern neighbor China, with which it fought
a savage border war in 1962.
-
- "In the last four to five years, our trade relations
have expanded so much so that the year just over has seen $5 billion in
two-way trade between China and India. Both sides want to expand this trade,"
Fernandes said.
-
- He said that as part of confidence-building efforts,
both sides would be stepping up an officer training program.
-
- "We would like to build a very close relationship
(with China) but it will take time," Fernandes said.
-
- Vajapayee and Chinese President Hu Jintao met on the
sidelines of the 300th anniversary celebrations of St Petersburg Saturday
and agreed to build economic links between the world's two most populous
nations.
-
- The two leaders skirted around issues such as border
disputes, China's military cooperation with Pakistan and Tibet's spiritual
leader, the Dalai Lama, who lives in India.
-
-
-
- Copyright © 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon.
|
