M A I N   N E W S

Indo-US group on terrorism

LONDON, Jan 19 (PTI) — India and the USA today decided to establish a joint working group (JWG) on counter-terrorism and work together to ensure that the perpetrators of the recent hijacking of Indian Airlines aircraft were brought to justice.

The decision, taken at the two-day 10th round of parleys between External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott here, is seen as an implied endorsement of New Delhi’s concern over cross border terrorism sponsored by Islamabad although it comes close on the heels of Washington’s rejection of Indian plea to declare Pakistan a terrorist state.

The first meeting of the JWG will be held in Washington early next month, said a joint statement, issued after their talks on security, non-proliferation, disarmament and related issues besides bilateral relations, regional developments and other global issues.

The two sides also discussed arrangements to plan in detail for the proposed visit to India by President Bill Clinton, expected in March.

On the hijacking, the statement said the two sides “agreed to work together to ensure that the perpetrators of the hijacking of IC 814 are brought to justice as part of their joint efforts to combat international terrorism.”

Significantly, both sides discussed the possibility of institutionalising the dialogue and agreed on the need to intensify and broaden bilateral parleys.

The statement said the talks were held “in the positive and constructive manner that has characterised their continuing dialogue.”

The Indian delegation at the talks included Ambassador to the USA Naresh Chandra, Joint Secretary (Disarmament) Rakesh Sood, Joint Secretary (Americas) Alok Prasad and Joint Secretary (Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan) Vivek Katju.

Mr Talbott was assisted by Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth and State Department Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Michael Sheehan.

After the talks here, Mr Inderfurth and Mr Sheehan are slated to leave for Pakistan to hold parleys with the military regime to impress upon it to restore democracy, normalise relations with neighbours, fight terrorism and bring about economic reforms, diplomatic sources said.

Mr Jaswant Singh and Mr Talbott had met in November last year in London during which New Delhi and Washington had agreed to intensify their contacts at all levels and to lay the foundation for a broad-based forward-looking relationship between the two countries.