Author: Amit Baruah
Publication: The Hindu
Date: January 8, 2003
The Prime Minister, Atal Behari
Vajpayee, today made it clear that there was no change in the Indian position
that talks with Pakistan could take place only when it ended cross-border
terrorism.
Mr. Vajpayee told the visiting Japanese
Foreign Minister, Yoriko Kawaguchi, that those who called upon India to
hold talks with Pakistan should instead tell Islamabad to end terrorism
directed against New Delhi.
In her public remarks, Ms. Kawaguchi
went beyond the traditional Western position of asking Pakistan to end
infiltration from across the Line of Control, saying Tokyo had called upon
Islamabad to dismantle the "terrorist bases'' on its territory.
Ms. Kawaguchi, who called on the
President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and the Prime Minister as well, said that
"terrorism for whatever reason'' was not acceptable.
She also reiterated the traditional
Japanese agenda that India should sign the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty
and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
On whether Japan supported India's
entry into the United Nations Security Council as a permanent member, Ms.
Kawaguchi said the first requirement was the need to fix the number of
additional seats in the Council. "First, we need to agree on the numbers.''
Delivering a speech under the aegis
of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, she said
that India-Pakistan tensions last year had "resulted in considerable impact
on the Indian economy'' and the foreign companies operating here.
``Improvement in India-Pakistan
relations is vital for Japanese companies here to be able to conduct stable
economic activities. Such improvement will make the Indian market more
attractive for investors and contribute directly to the economic development
of India itself.''
Welcoming India's decision to re-deploy
its troops, Ms. Kawaguchi said, "I hope strongly that even more positive
steps will be taken to lead to the early resumption of dialogue between
India and Pakistan. Japan continues to urge Pakistan to put a permanent
end to infiltration across the Line of Control.''
Asked who should take more steps
to resume the dialogue, she said it was for India and Pakistan to decide.
"You are the direct parties....''
Were not the lack of sanctions against North Korea for possessing nuclear
weapons a "double standard,'' given the "economic measures'' taken against
India in 1998? Ms. Kawaguchi claimed that some steps had been taken against
North Korea to make it conform to non-proliferation regulations. "We are
waiting for the reaction of the North Korean Government.''