May 9, 2003	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 8: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage on Thursday expressed a guarded optimism about the beginning of talks between India and Pakistan. “What you are seeing, I hope, is the beginning of a process and I am cautiously optimistic that is exactly what we are seeing,” he said, terming it “a nascent dialogue”.

He was addressing a news conference after a series of meetings with the President Musharraf, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali and senior officials.

When asked if he thought Pakistan had done enough to stop the alleged cross-border infiltration in Kashmir, he said he would not give a direct answer. “We are not keeping score of peoples lives,” was his short answer.

He said President Musharraf had held out an assurance that there was no infiltration from LoC and if there were any camps on Pakistani soil they would be wrapped up very soon.

“President Musharraf gave me an absolute assurance that there was nothing happening across the LoC and that there were no camps in Azad Kashmir today and if there were any camps they would be gone tomorrow.” Mr Armitage said: “We are satisfied that President Musharraf is a man of his word.”

NO PRESSURE: At the outset, he said, much of the discussion between the two sides was on the latest reconciliatory moves by India and Pakistan. He dispelled the notion that there was any pressure from the US on either India or Pakistan.

Appreciating Prime Minister Jamali’s April 28 phone call to his Indian counterpart, Mr Armitage said it marked the “beginning of a dialogue” that could lead to addressing all aspects of bilateral relations. He expressed strong US support for recent developments in South Asia starting with Indian Prime Minister’s peace talks offer in Srinagar on April 18.

He parried to comment on prospects of whether India-Pakistan talks would be more successful this time, saying: “Time will tell us.” However, he sounded hopeful, referring to the recent peace overtures by both sides. He noted that there was confidence in Pakistan to address all aspects of relations.

At this point Mr Kasuri intervened to say that on the Kashmir issue: “We are not going into modalities. We are initiating a process dialogue and have expressed our readiness for a meaningful dialogue.”

On steps towards non-proliferation of WMDs by India and Pakistan, he maintained that given the general confrontation between the two countries it could only be possible after a series of confidence-building measures were taken by both sides.

The American Deputy Secretary’s response to follow up questions on the issue of Kashmir ranging from the likely US role in ending the repression in Kashmir to asking Pakistan to stop the alleged cross LoC infiltration, was: “It is not the position of US government to pressure India or Pakistan.”

He said he would “faithfully and carefully convey” his “Indian friends” about discussions he had on the subject with Pakistan.

Asked if he had brought any concrete proposal to resolve the Kashmir dispute, Mr Armitage replied in the negative. “US has not made any proposal in this regard. However, he recognised that Kashmir was a core issue and that it was at the heart of continuing hostilities between the two countries.

IRAQ: Mr Armitage said he also shared the US thinking with the Pakistan government on a likely UN Security Council Resolution (UNSC) on post-Saddam regime in Iraq. He said Pakistan was very important in this context especially now that it occupied the Chair of UNSC.

President Musharraf’s forthcoming visit to the US was also discussed, underscoring that Pakistan-US relations were going “extraordinarily well”. Earlier he conveyed to Pakistani officials that President Bush was keen to receive President Musharraf in June. The US deputy secretary insisted that the US government was “absolutely confident about the presence of WMDs in Iraq.

Earlier in his remarks Mr Kasuri said the two sides had “very useful discussions” held in a “very good and cordial” atmosphere. He said the discussions covered a whole range of bilateral and international issues, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan-India ties. In the context of bilateral relations both sides were eager to establish long-term, enduring and strong ties. On Pakistan-India relations Mr Kasuri said the Pakistani side conveyed its readiness for a meaningful dialogue with India to address all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

MORNING SESSION: During talks at the Foreign Office in the morning, both sides affirmed their position that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq must be maintained. That Iraq’s reconstruction should begin apace and that an Iraqi representative government be evolved, said an official statement.

The statement said Pakistan and US also affirmed their support to the government of President Karzai and the need for the Bonn process to reach fruition. Both sides also emphasised the reconstruction of Afghanistan and rehabilitation of its people.

Mr Armitage is due to leave for Afghanistan on Friday morning.