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Published 28 Nov, 2012 01:00am

Britain won’t listen to Pakistan’s protests

LONDON: The conclusion of Indo-British military aid agreement on the eve of talks in Rawalpindi between President Ayub Khan and Mr Duncan Sandys, Britain’s Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and Colonies, is viewed by diplomatic observers here as a demonstration of the British Government’s resolve to supply military hardware to India notwithstanding the strong protests in Pakistan against the Western military aid to India.

This agreement also indicated that Britain is not willing to make rapprochement between India and Pakistan over Kashmir a precondition to British arms aid to India. Whether or not the Americans are going to follow a similar line is expected to become known during the next few days.

No indication is available here as to whether the reported efforts by Mr Sandys and Mr Harriman, President Kennedy’s Special Envoy to India, to persuade Mr Nehru to come to terms with Pakistan have made any progress.

In the absence of any authoritative comments on the talks in Delhi, speculation in the British Press about the terms of a possible settlement between India and Pakistan is rife. — Correspondent

Israel starts talks for entry in EEC BRUSSELS: Israel has stated talks with the Common Market for some form of trade agreement which will give it continued access to the European Economic Community (EEC) Market.

Israel at present sends 42 per cent, of its exports to the Common Market plus Britain. The negotiations will cover agricultural products and about 100 processed items.

Initially at least these talks are intended to be exploratory, to see what arrangement can be made. But their success or failure could have large implications, since a number of other countries in the Middle East, including Lebanon and Iran, are to open negotiations with the European Economic Community. — Financial Times

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