India, Pak to resume talks on Kashmir issue

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (PTI) — In a major breakthrough, India and Pakistan today agreed to settle the vexed Kashmir issue peacefully and decided to resume next month the stalled Foreign Secretary-level talks on other outstanding issues, including peace and security.

The decision was taken at the crucial luncheon meeting between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif here, with the two leaders directing their Foreign Secretaries to meet in Islamabad from October 15 to 18.

"Peaceful settlement of all (eight) outstanding issues, including J and K, is essential for durable peace and security in the region," said a joint statement issued after the parleys between the two leaders, their second since July 29, when they met on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Colombo.

The two sides agreed that the remaining six subjects, Siachen, Tulbul navigation project, Sir Creek boundary dispute, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic and commercial cooperation and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields — shall be taken up in substantive and separate meetings in New Delhi in the first half of November this year.

The statement, issued after nearly an hour-long meeting, said the two Prime Ministers carried out a detailed review of the new developments in the region during the past few months and affirmed that "an environment of durable peace and security is in the supreme interest of both India and Pakistan, and the region as a whole."

They expressed their determination to renew and reinvigorate efforts to secure such an environment.

Mr Vajpayee and Mr Sharif reiterated their commitment to create conditions which would enable both countries to fully devote their resources, both human and material, to improving the lives of their people, particularly the poorest among them.

The two Prime Ministers noted with satisfaction the agreement reached between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries on operationalising the mechanism to address all items in the agreed agenda of June 23, 1997, in a purposeful and composite manner.

They directed the Foreign Secretaries accordingly to resume the dialogue on the agreed dates.

In a separate joint statement, Foreign Secretaries K. Raghunath and Shamshad Ahmad, who also met, outlined the schedule for discussing the issues.

While issues of peace and security and J and K would be dealt with at the level of Foreign Secretaries, Siachen would be addressed by the Defence Secretaries of the two sides.

The Foreign Secretaries agreed that Wullar Barrage — Tulbul navigation project would be discussed by Secretaries of Water and Power, Sir Creek by Additional Secretaries (Defence) and Surveyors General, terrorism and drug trafficking by Home and Interior Secretaries and economic and commercial cooperation by Commerce Secretaries.

Issues of promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields would be handled by secretaries of culture of the two countries.

Diplomacy of signals at play in New York
From Hari Jaisingh
Tribune News Service

NEW YORK, Sept 23 — It is diplomacy of positive signals. And Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is making concerted efforts to give the right signals to the right quarters, both on Indo-Pak relations and the signing of the CTBT.

First, he has made it known that India is not on a confrontationist course with Pakistan. The process of reconciliation is very much on, howsoever slow and tedious. A broad eight-point ‘understanding’ between New Delhi and Islamabad has already been reached. At the luncheon meeting between Mr Vajpayee and Mr Nawaz Sharif at the New York Palace Hotel, only a seal of approval on the agreed modalities is, therefore, just a formality.

The warmth and cordiality between the two leaders are in abundance. In any case, even at the worst of times, there is no dearth of exhibitionism in friendship for public consumption. This is a continental speciality. The eyes will now be focused on what transpires at the Foreign Secretary-level talks in reality.

From the Indian point of view, the message is loud and clear: India is not in the business of confrontation.