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Japan wants Pak. to dismantle terrorist bases: Kawaguchi

Japan wants Pak. to dismantle terrorist bases: Kawaguchi

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.''
 


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