NEW DELHI, Sept 2: India on Tuesday ruled out any likelihood of talks between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf during their visit to New York later this month.

Press Trust of India quoted a foreign ministry spokesperson as responding to a query whether a meeting was on between the two. “Not to the best of my knowledge,” she said.

“I would like to repeat the considered opinion of the government of India that the climate for resumption of dialogue is not conducive,” she said.

The spokesperson emphasised that there has to be “permanent and visible” end to infiltration and infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan has to be dismantled “before we can consider resumption of dialogue”.—J.N