September 8, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Saani29,1423

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NEW DELHI, Sept 7: Russia believes that cross-border raids into the occupied areas could be further checked by Islamabad as opposed to the American understanding that President Pervez Musharraf may not have control over some militants who continue to torment Delhi, Indian reports from Moscow said on Saturday.

They said Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal met Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in Moscow where Ivanov asserted that Pakistan ought to implement its pledge to end infiltration for the de-escalation of tension in South Asia.

Reports said Sibal met Russian leaders and later told reporters that Moscow and Washington were on “different wavelengths” on the issue of “Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism against India.”

“Moscow agrees that infiltration has not stopped, but the United States says President Musharraf has taken measures to check infiltration,” a dispatch by rediff.com from Moscow said.

Commenting on American statements on Musharraf’s “full cooperation in combating terrorism,” Sibal said it was because the US needed Pakistan’s help to deal with the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

“We have a credible reason to doubt Pakistan’s full cooperation in combating terrorism. If so, they should give it (cooperation) to India too,” he said.

Sibal said India had “reasonable understanding” with the US on what needed to be done by Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism.

He also briefed Ivanov and First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov about the assembly polls in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.