November 29, 2002	Friday	Ramazan 23, 1423

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NEW DELHI, Nov 28: India said on Thursday it would not allow any bilateral issue to be raised at the Saarc summit in Islamabad, scheduled for January, reiterating its participation in the meeting would depend on economic progress made by the grouping.

“As in the past, similarly in future also, India will not allow the Saarc charter to be violated by anyone bringing up bilateral issues,” Junior Foreign Minister Digvijay Singh told the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Indian parliament).

Singh was replying to a question whether India would ensure that no bilateral issues were raised at the summit.

India has yet to confirm its participation at the summit, saying that as little progress has been made on decisions agreed to at the last meeting in Nepal, a new summit will be meaningless.

Singh reiterated this position in response to another question.

“While India is fully committed to the Saarc process, the government feels that there should be substantial progress, especially in the eco-cooperation agenda, on decisions taken in the last summit for the Saarc to be meaningful,” the minister said.

Brajesh Mishra, a senior aide of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, told the BBC’s “Hardtalk” on Thursday that it would be “very difficult” for Vajpayee to attend the summit if key regional trade pacts were not implemented soon.

“We could consider it, but in the absence of any substance to the summit, of course it’s very difficult for the prime minister to go,” Mishra said. —AFP