Musharraf, Singh agree to resume dialogue: •Indian PM accepts visit invitation •Accord on joint anti-terror mechanism
HAVANA, Sept 16: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed at breakthrough talks here on Saturday to resume negotiations on the Kashmir dispute and jointly battle terrorism.
“We have directed our foreign secretaries to resume dialogue,” the Indian premier said, adding they should meet ‘shortly’ in New Delhi to continue the dialogue.
“On the Jammu and Kashmir, there have been useful discussions,” he said, reading from a joint statement, alongside President Musharraf.
“The leaders decided to continue the joint search for mutually acceptable options for a peaceful negotiated settlement on all issues between India and Pakistan, including Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“It was agreed the peace process must be maintained and respected and success is important for both countries and for the security of the region,” Dr Singh said.
He said the two sides needed “to build on convergences and narrow down differences.”
The two leaders reached the breakthrough after an hour of talks held on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit. The talks were the first high-level meeting between the two countries since deadly bombings in Mumbai on July 11. India had accused Pakistan of not reining in ‘terrorists’.
“We met in the aftermath of the Mumbai blasts,” said Dr Singh, adding “we strongly condemned all acts of terrorism and agreed terrorism was a scourge that needs to be dealt with.”
“We decided to put in place an India-Pakistan anti-terrorism institutional mechanism to identify and implement counter-terrorism initiatives and investigations.”
The Indian premier said the talks were “cordial, frank and detailed,” and covered “all aspects of Pakistani-Indian relations.”
Dr Singh also said he had accepted an invitation by President Musharraf to visit Pakistan at a date yet to be determined.
President Musharraf, in his speech at the summit on Friday, had called Saturday’s negotiations a ‘historic opportunity’ and emphasised “this must be seized by the leadership of the two countries to bring to a close the chapter of tension and conflict in our region”.
But, he had also urged the NAM leaders to “clearly oppose the sinister tendencies to equate terrorism with Islam.”
He said improved relations between India and Pakistan, as well as a “conducive international environment,” would help advance dialogue over Kashmir if regional leaders were sincere, flexible and bold.
“Leaders who cannot grasp fleeting opportunity are no leaders,” the president said.
Separately, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said Pakistan would reduce the number of troops in Kashmir if India did the same.
“We have always said if you scale back your troops, we will match it,” Mr Kasuri told New Delhi TV.—Agencies
HAVANA, Sept 16: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed at breakthrough talks here on Saturday to resume negotiations on the Kashmir dispute and jointly battle terrorism.
