WASHINGTON, Jan 18: Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes has reiterated his belief that his country’s crisis with Pakistan may be on way to resolution.

Mr Fernandes, who is on a visit to the US, had made a statement to that effect after meeting Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday morning, and repeated it at a news conference at the Indian embassy later during the day.

He said in the background of recent events, “we are hoping that things will move in the right direction quickly and we have undertaken intense diplomatic action to resolve the issue peacefully.”

Despite this slight “let” in the Indian position, Mr Fernandes maintained that forces would be withdrawn from the border only after the measures announced by General Pervez Musharraf had been “effectively and fully implemented so as to permanently end infiltration and sponsorship of terrorism from Pakistan or territories.”

The minister said one measure of Pakistan’s “sincerity” would be its willingness to hand over 20 so-called terrorists whose names had been given to Islamabad.

Gen Musharraf has ruled out extraditing Pakistani citizens, but indicated that the cases of those who are not Pakistani nationals can be considered.

In addition to Mr Rumsfeld, Mr Fernandes has had meetings with Vice-President Richard Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

A key question during his visit has been the supply of the sophisticated Phalcon radar system by Israel, a transaction which reports suggested the US had tried to delay because of the fear that it would add to Indo-Pakistani tensions. The US has denied that it has put any pressure on Israel, but said the timing of such transfers should always be a consideration.

Mr Fernandes made no direct reference to the Phalcon system, but said he had been assured by the US that licences were being processed for other arms deliveries that were blocked when India and Pakistan went under sanctions following their nuclear tests.