Mandela raises Kashmir issue at NAM

DURBAN, Sept 2 (PTI) — In a departure from nonaligned tradition, the new Chairman of the 113-nation movement and South African President, Mr Nelson Mandela, today raised the Kashmir issue suggesting that the member-countries "lend all strength" to its resolution.

Opening the two-day summit of the movement here, Mr Mandela surprised many by making an unprecedented reference to Kashmir despite the consistent stand of NAM to keep away from bilateral issues among its members. "All of us remain concerned that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir should be solved through peaceful negotiations and should be willing to lend all strength we have to the resolution of this matter," he said.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee with President of Cuba Fidel Castro in Durban on Tuesday. — PTI

There was no reaction from the Indian delegation to Mr Mandela’s remark but diplomatic observers noted that these were contrary to the basic principles of the movement.

"The remarks may lead the movement down a slippery path of meddling into bilateral issues," said a veteran diplomat.

The observers said the reference to Kashmir by the NAM Chairman in his summit address was contrary to earlier occasions when the host nations had prevailed over Pakistan from raising the issue.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was among the NAM leaders who heard Mr Mandela’s inaugural address that undoubtedly would have pleased the Pakistani delegation.

Mr Vajpayee, who will address the summit tomorrow, is likely to revise his speech to respond to Mr Mandela’s remarks.

A senior official of the Indian delegation, however, ruled out outside interference in the resolution of the Kashmir problem.

"There is no room for third-party intervention," he said, and parried all questions on why the hosts raised the issue and whether it would lead to internationalising the problem.

He also said that there was no question of India getting isolated on the issue.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of the Indian Union and there were issues on which India wanted substantive and serious dialogue with Pakistan.

"We have some serious concerns and that would have to be discussed" with Pakistan, he said.

He said that the Kashmir issue would not find any mention in the declaration to be adopted by the summit tomorrow and dismissed suggestions that India was on the "defensive" and being "reactive" on the issue.

In his speech, the South African leader expressed serious concern on nuclear proliferation but did not refer to the series of nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in May this year.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Palestine President Yasser Arafat, Cuban President Fidel Castro, and Iranian leader Mohammed Khatami besides ousted Afghanistan President Burhanuddin Rabbani are attending the summit. He urged the NAM countries to address in a decisive and sustained manner the issue of violence in many parts of the world.

"We have to remake our common world", Mr Mandela said and added that violence in Afghanistan, Congo, and Sri Lanka should come to an end.

Mr Mandela said that huge arsenals of weapons of mass destruction, especially the nuclear weapons, which remain with a few countries in the world pose a frightening threat to the humanity.

"The critical question of nuclear disarmament would remain high on our list of priorities," he said.

The summit appears to be divided on many issues, including nuclear disarmament besides various political issues, especially the crisis in Congo and US missile attacks on Afghanistan and Sudan.

The absence of many Heads of State and Government, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia, besides all Gulf rulers has somewhat dampened the spirit of the Durban summit.

Mr Mandela flayed the war in the democratic republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

NAM, he said, was seized of the important question of the restructuring of the United Nations and would do everything to speed up the resolution of this question ensuring that the restructured organisation was reflective of and responsive to the interests of the larger world which the movement represented.

Mr Mandela today called for easing the Third World’s "unbearable debt" on a priority basis, saying it remained one of the most immediate challenges facing the developed nations.

"Much has been said about this, what is needed is action by developed countries and their partners in the South," Mr Mandela said.

Meanwhile, India assured continued support to the Afghan government headed by Mr Rabbani and expressed the hope that the country would remain united and non-aligned.

New Delhi's assurance was conveyed by Mr Vajpayee to President Rabbani when he broke protocol and called on the Indian Premier here on the sidelines of the summit.

The Afghan President told Mr Vajpayee that the Taliban was the creation of Pakistan in several ways.

He said terrorist camps had been organised by Islamabad within Afghanistan and some of the mercenaries were trained for attacks in India.

AFP adds: Belarus officially became a member of NAM on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Ivan Antonovich said his country was proud to become the 114th member of NAM.

"It is a very important moment and a great honour," he told the summit.

"We wholly share the democracy and values of the Non-Aligned Movement, and are ready to work together to promote sustainable development, combat poverty and to face the challenges of the new century in a constructive way," he said.

Vajpayee, Aziz agree on dialogue

DURBAN, Sept 2 (UNI) — Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz today agreed that any future dialogue between both countries should cover all bilateral issues.

Talking to newspersons after a 30-minute meeting with the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Mr Vajpayee said it was agreed by the two sides to restart the stalled talks which broke down due to Islamabad's insistence of taking up the core issue of Kashmir on a priority basis.

Mr Aziz went to the Royal Hotel this morning before the start of the meeting to exchange views with him on the whole range of bilateral matters.

Mr Vajpayee discussed the meeting as very useful and positive saying the officials of the two countries will continue to meet.

Mr Aziz also held extensive talks with Minister of State for External Affairs Vasundhara Raje during which they directed the official to work on the modalities for restarting talks.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz said that both India and Pakistan should do away with modalities which had proved to be stumbling blocks in resumption of official level talks to discuss the entire gamut of bilateral issues.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Aziz, said the two countries should do something substantive to give a push to the process of normalisation of relations between them.

The dialogue should resume since it was the need of the hour, he said, adding "Islamabad is for it."

"The entire world was looking at us to make progress in bringing about normalcy in our relations which will have a positive impact on the security environment in the south Asian region," he said.

The remarks of the Pakistani minister appeared constructive with regard to the Nawaz Sharif government’s approach on solving contentious and other issues between the two countries.

Mr Aziz’s position was in sharp contrast to the rigid stand adopted by Islamabad during talks with India during the last two rounds of the foreign secretary level talks here and Colombo.