12 September 2004	Sunday	26 Rajab 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

NEW DELHI, Sept 11: Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Saturday that sustained talks with Pakistan would eventually lead to a settlement of all bilateral disputes.

"It will be possible to reach some point of settlement if we continue to talk to each other," he said in Kolkota, according to Press Trust of India.

He said that both India and Pakistan were trying to see that an atmosphere of peace prevailed and a ceasefire was in force since November 2003.

"The ceasefire was prevailing and it will continue. This is, to my mind, a positive signal and the talks were a positive step forward."

Mr Mukherjee said India wanted peace with Pakistan and "was prepared to ensure an atmosphere for peace".

Asked to comment on India's current defence preparedness, Mr Mukherjee said the country would have to be prepared for all times. "In fact, peacetime was the best time for defence preparedness," he said.

NEPAL: India would give all the arms to Nepal that were requested by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, he said, adding that Mr Deuba did not seek the physical presence of Indian army there.

"But India had given assistance to Nepal in the past, we are providing it now and we will give it in future. But it will depend on what kind of help that country actually wanted from us," he said.

In Kathmandu, US Ambassador James F. Moriarty said that India had a very important role in finding a long-term solution to the Maoist problem in Nepal.

"We are sending a clear message to the Maoists that they do not have outside support. They must go through the process of comingto the negotiating table," Mr Moriarty was quoted by United News of India as saying.