M A I N   N E W S

Sanctions against India to continue: USA

Washington, April 7
The USA has said the post-Pokhran sanctions imposed on India will continue though it sought New Delhi’s views on the issue when the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, met the Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, yesterday. 

“I think the Indian Government is quite aware that we have our laws and we intend to follow them, ’’the State Department spokesman, Mr Richard Boucher, said while briefing newspersons at the end of talks Mr Jaswant Singh had with Mr Powell. 

Mr Boucher said the Indian Foreign Minister said he did not normally raise the issue of sanctions during discussions with the US leaders but did so at the instance of Mr Powell. 

“Both the leaders talked about it (sanctions) and the effects for a while,’’ Mr Boucher said while replying to questions. 

“They also discussed about how this punitive measure modified or held back the vast potential of cooperation between the two countries,’’ he added. 

Mr Boucher said besides delegation-level talks, the Minister and Mr Powell had a one-to-one meeting when proliferation issues figured.

Indo-US pacts on defence cooperation

Washington, April 7
Putting behind post-Pokhran chill in defence ties, India and the USA have reached agreements on defence cooperation during the talks External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh had with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Stating this Mr Jaswant Singh, who is also holding the defence portfolio, said the details of the agreements would be revealed after the Cabinet clearance.

It was also agreed at yesterday’s parleys that the Defence Ministers of the two countries would hold regular dialogue as in the case of the External Affairs Minister and the Secretary of State, he said.

The two sides decided on exchanging visits by the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and his Indian counterpart.

Asked whether joint military exercises were discussed, he said: “My answer is in the affirmative.” He explained that “this is ongoing”.

Among other things, the two leaders held talks on the US plans for the controversial National Missile Defence System with Mr Rumsfeld, explaining why Washington felt the need for it. PTI

Cong, Trinamool agreement on seats

Kolkata, April 7
Ending the five-day-long stalemate over the allocation of 18 Assembly seats, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TC) finally sewed up an agreement today on all 294 seats in West Bengal, as TC chief Mamata Banerjee charged the BJP with “belittling and abusing her” instead of fighting the CPM-led ruling Left Front.

Announcing the decision at a joint press conference with AICC general secretary Kamal Nath, Ms Mamata Banerjee said the Congress would field candidates in 57 seats and her party in 229.

TC’s ally in the “Bangla bachao front”, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, has been given eight seats. She was flanked by WBPCC president Pranab Mukherjee and veteran party leader A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury. PTI