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No US role in Indo-Pak peace move, says Sinha Washington, January 21 “The US role is that of a friend who makes inquiries about the state of affairs and the progress which has been made,” Mr Sinha told reporters here yesterday in the presence of Mr Powell, when asked if there was any role for Washington in the Indo-Pak ties. Mr Sinha, who met President George W. Bush and later held talks with Mr Powell, said, “In my discussions here there was absolutely no suggestion of a role for the USA in terms of mediation” and so on. “There was curiosity, there was inquiry, and that is fair enough.” “And here today we are able to talk about the success that the Indians and Pakistanis achieved recently in Islamabad, how they have been reaching out to one another, how transportation links are being reestablished, how Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Musharraf, have set themselves on a course of dialogue and discussion of all issues that are outstanding between the two sides,” Mr Powell said. He said the USA supported President Musharraf’s efforts towards improving relations with India. “He (Musharraf) is stepping up the challenge of improving relations with India...we support him and will continue to do so.” — PTI  |
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Sinha unveils 10-point agenda for S. Asia Washington, January 21 In Washington at the invitation of Secretary of State Colin Powell, Mr Sinha told a gathering of policy analysts at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars that he did not believe “any form of external role can succeed in, or is relevant to, these processes (in South Asia). “The people of South Asia have to find answers themselves. There can be no other way to arrive at durable solutions to the problems of the region,” Mr Sinha stated. Incidentally, in interviews earlier this month Mr Powell had listed the claiming of tensions between India and Pakistan as one of the successes of the Bush Administration’s foreign policy. Laying out the agenda for South Asian nations, Mr Sinha said: “There is no reason why South Asia should count among the poorest regions of the world when it is so rich in every resource.” The agenda includes — “advance democracy and strengthen democratic institutions throughout the region; commit ourselves to resolve all disputes with each other through peaceful means; abjure support and actively prevent the activities of forces who seek to undermine the security and stability of each other; cooperate in combating terrorism, and other forms of cross-border crimes.” The minister made special reference to the steps Bhutan has taken to root out anti-India insurgent groups operating within the Himalayan kingdom. Other points on Mr Sinha’s agenda included adopting national policies that encourage broad-based economic development; fostering economic engagement, cultural interaction and people-to-people contacts; investing in cross-border infrastructure projects; investing in special funds and programmes for poverty alleviation, healthcare, education and environment management; creating a climate of opinion that emphasises South Asian identity and working towards creating a common economic space, and eventually an economic union. Developments at the SAARC Summit featured prominently in Mr Sinha’s meetings in Washington. On Tuesday the minister met National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice at the White House. President George W. Bush spent close to 15 minutes with Mr Sinha. We’ve had, since the morning when I met President Bush and now with Secretary Powell in the State Department, some very productive discussions,” Mr Sinha said, following a luncheon meeting with Mr Powell at the State Department. The meetings also touched upon the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and recent developments in Iran and the West Asia. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to a dialogue with Pakistan, which, he said would begin in February. “One of the biggest enemies of the peace process is expectation running ahead of reality,” he told the gathering at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars. “We are entering a complex process. We won’t reach solutions overnight. “What is, however, entirely possible and within our control is to stay engaged.” Mr Powell said the Bush administration was “very pleased” with these developments. |
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