The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, October 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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EU raises Pakistan issue, annoys India
Smita Prakash

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee gestures while Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen listens at a press conference in Copenhagen on Thursday. The European Union and India failed on Thursday to agree on a common text on the disputed Kashmir region. — Reuters photo

Copenhagen, October 10
After having told India that it should not view its bilateral relationship with the European Union through the prism of Pakistan, the European Union turned around and did exactly the opposite when the Danish Prime Minister and the Chairman of the European Council, Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is also part of the EU Trioka brought up the Pakistan issue during the Indo-EU political dialogue and also made remarks critical of India’s missile tests.

It was indeed a strange development as in the business dialogue India was told that it should base its relationship with the EU on the basis of bilateral ties and not bring in the Pakistan angle. The political dialogue process appears to have gone in a different direction.

When Mr Rasmussen was asked that why Pakistan and Kashmir issues were not put in the prepared political statement between India and EU. The EU leader said “we could not agree on the text with India”.

Taking all by surprise, Mr Rasmussen said in his opening remarks that there should be a negotiated settlement of issues between India and Pakistan. He condemned the terrorist attacks in India and yet at the same time said that “direct dialogue with Pakistan should be taken up”. The EU leader went on to say “tensions should be lowered between India and Pakistan”. The Indian delegation was quick to react to this anomaly.

Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha told reporters that it was unfortunate “while they condemned terrorism in private and yet the President of the European Council harped on the Kashmir issue”. The Indian delegation felt that clearly the EU leader must have been influenced by Pakistan.

The surprise was all the more glaring as it was just yesterday that the EU Commissioner for External Relations, Mr Chris Pattern, called upon India “not to view the relationship with the EU through the prism of Pakistan”. Yet, with in 24 hours, when the political dialogue opened, the EU leaders promptly brought up the Pakistan issue.

Senior Indian officials travelling with the Prime Minister told newsmen that while the EU says it is putting pressure on Pakistan the reality appears to be to the contrary. The Indian Disinvestment Minister, Mr Arun Shourie, put it very succinctly when he said “EU is giving out the same message to the arsonist (Pakistan) and the fire fighter (India). You cannot give the same message to both”.

Reacting to the EU’s strange turn-around on the political dialogue, Prime Minister Vajpayee said while the EU and the world keep telling India to talk to Pakistan and to have direct dialogue the reality is “of course we have had direct contact with Pakistan. I went to Lahore and in turn we got Kargil. India then invited Gen Musharraf to Agra and then what happened — all talks broke down”.

When asked whether this diatribe by the Danish Prime Minister, who is also part of the EU Trioka would have an impact on the bilateral talks with the EU which are opening tomorrow, Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said: “We hope not and if it does happen we know what to do”.

Senior business leaders from India and other parts of the world who have gathered here have expressed surprise at the manner in which the EU brought up Pakistan and Kashmir issues which were not in the prepared text. While informed sources here have attributed this to heavy American pressure on the European Union following September 11 attacks as a way for rewarding Pakistan for providing logistical support to the US forces in the war against terror.

Business leaders were also quick to explain the reference to Pakistan as a quid pro quo for its support to the US-led forces in its war against Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and it had nothing to do with trade and commercial relations between India and the European Union.