'Action And Not Just Words'

Ms. Nirupama Rao (Official Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs): We welcome you to this afternoon's press conference with Rt. Hon. Mr. Jack Straw, Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs of the Government of the United Kingdom; and the Hon. Minister of ExternalAffairs of the Government of India, Shri Jaswant Singh. The two Ministers will make brief opening statements.Thereafter, they will take your questions.Thank you.

Shri Jaswant Singh: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen of the press. Good afternoon.

It is my very great pleasure and honour to welcome again my friend and distinguished colleague, Rt. Hon. JackStraw. We have had, as always we have, a very candid, I believe, a very fruitful, wide-ranging discussion onbilateral issues; also on the current regional situation. We touched briefly the situation in Afghanistan. Wediscussed at some length India, Pakistan and the present situation. We also briefly discussed Jammu and Kashmir and alsoGujarat. I am very happy, as always, to have this opportunity to discuss issues with Jack, not simply in hispersonal capacity which of course I greatly admire, but also as a high representative of Her Majesty'sGovernment. I am very happy that we have had this chance. We will now, after you have grilled us, go and continue our work at lunch.Thank you for being here.

Mr. Jack Straw: Thank you very much, Jaswant.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a real honour for me to be back here in Delhi at the invitation of my good friendJaswant Singh, the Foreign Minister for the Government of India.

As Jaswant has indicated, we had a wide-ranging discussions. It included a brief discussion on a number ofbilateral issues, discussion on the issue of Gujarat which I have also discussed with Home Minister Advaniearlier today. Then obviously, the dominant subject of the discussion was the regional issue, and thepotential of conflict across the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administeredKashmir.

I reiterated what I said yesterday in Islamabad that the United Kingdom Government stands foursquare withcivilized Governments around the world, particularly with the Government of India, in our approach toterrorism. This is a matter which I have discussed at length with representatives of the Government of Indiasince I first became the Home Secretary, the Home Minister as you call the post, five years ago. 

There werelot of discussions when I was Home Secretary, with Home Minister Advani, when I spent a week in India inSeptember of the year 2000, on how we coordinated our approach to terrorism and how we shared an opinion thatthere was one definition of terrorism, that definition was laid down by law, now I might say laid down byinternational law in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373. That definition includes crossborder terrorism, and it includes terrorism labeled as freedom fighting terrorism. So, I made that clearyesterday in Islamabad, and I am happy to make it clear again today. And it is because of our common approach that we have backed the Government of India in their text for a ComprehensiveConvention on Terrorism which is currently before the United Nations.

All of us are aware of the state of tension which currently exists across the Line of Control. This is, againas I emphasized yesterday in Islamabad, a bilateral issue or matter between the Government and peoples ofIndia, and Government and peoples of Pakistan.

But it is a bilateral matter with obvious international implications. And I have offered our views about theimportance, which I know is shared by the Government of India, of doing everything that can be done to ensurethat this conflict is resolved other than by an escalation of military action.

As Jaswant has said, after taking a few questions from you we will then be resuming our discussions.

Thank you.

Mr. Luke Harding, The Guardian, London: The question is for the British Secretary Jack Straw. Gen. Musharraf says infiltration has stopped. India says it is still going on. Which side do you believe?

Mr. Jack Straw: One of the issues here is the question of verification. But, as I said yesterday in Islamabad,the test of any statement by country leaders is by action and not words. There has to be a measurement of thison the ground. We, of course, and the international community looks to President Musharraf to ensure that this undertakingwhich he has made now public is fully followed through.

Mr. Venkatnarayan, ITN: This is for the British Foreign Secretary.What exactly did you discuss about Gujarat with Mr. Jaswant Singh and Mr. Advani? Did the possibility ofNarendra Modi being prosecuted in Britain figure in your discussions?

Mr. Jack Straw: The position of the Chief Minister of Gujarat is a matter for the Union Government and theGovernment of Gujarat. That is an internal matter.

I raised consular matters on behalf of British people, which happens to, I think it is well-known, to includeconstituents of mine. From my Constituency of Blackburn there were two people who were killed, who wereBritish citizens. I met their relatives in London. They don't have to be constituents of mine! I talked aboutthat and other matters relating to it; the importance of there being a thorough investigation by the police inGujarat State to bring those perpetrators to justice. I touched on the issue of the payment of compensation aswell. As you fully understand, this is principally a matter for the Home Ministry, but I felt, as a matter ofcourtesy I should mention it to Jaswant as well.

Mr. Ian Williams, Channel Four News: A question for Mr. Singh.You have repeated your demand for Gen. Musharraf to live up to his assurances. How long do you prefer to givehim to do so?

Shri Jaswant Singh: No, it is not for me to establish timeframes of fulfilling commitments that Gen. Musharrafhas made, not simply to India but commitments that he has made to the international community. India haswaited patiently for the fulfillment of those commitments. They are vital for peace. They are also indeedvital as inputs to the global fight today against terrorism.

Ms. Aditi Phadnis, The Business Standard: My question is directed to Mr. Jaswant Singh. There is a question of verification. Is the Government of India considering any mechanism, any freshmechanism, for verification of infiltration and offer this evidence to the world to say that verificationwhich could result in substantiating what you said yesterday about the nuclearisation of terrorism?

Shri Jaswant Singh: There are verifications of many kinds that are inherent in your question - verificationabout what I said yesterday of nuclearisation of terrorism in Pakistan and the grave danger of it, as alsoverification of assertions made by the leadership of Pakistan. Now, there are many proposals in this regard.It would be unwise to prematurely put all those proposals on the table. But, at the appropriate time and whenthe right climate is reestablished, they can all be considered as actionable items.

Mr. Ranjit Kumar, Navbharat Times: My question is addressed to the British Foreign Minister. Mr. Minister, you met Gen. Musharraf yesterday in Islamabad. Can you tell us your impressions of your meetingwith Gen. Musharraf? Is he serious about containing terrorism?

Mr. Jack Straw: Sorry, the middle part of your question was, 'Can I say more about the meeting?' Was that whatyou asked?

Mr. Ranjit Kumar, Navbharat Times:Yes.

Mr. Jack Straw: I think I heard the last part which is, whether still I believe that he is serious about thecontrol of terrorism. I gave a brief commentary on my meeting yesterday in Islamabad where I described it asconstructive and forthright. That continued for 75 minutes. That was a long and detailed meeting. I believethat President Musharraf is serious. But, as I said earlier, the test of all these things has to be action andnot just words. There is a crucial imperative upon the leadership and the Government of Pakistan to ensure that there is effective and continuous sealing of the Line of Control, and then to the supplying ofthe terrorists, freedom fighters, militants, call them what you will, that have been operating in Jammu andKashmir.

Ms. Julian West, The Telegraph: Mr. Singh, bottom line, are you going to give Gen. Musharraf timeto implement this crackdown on cross border terrorism, or are you not? You said that your patience has runout. Everybody who has been here has said that your patience is wearing very thin. Are you going to give himtime, or are you not? And how long will that be?

Shri Jaswant Singh: Gen. Musharraf has had all the time that he wants. We are talking about crackdown onterrorism since the 11th of September. I do not want to go into the entire narrative of 11th September. Withintwenty days of it being followed on the 1st of October in the attack on the State Assembly of Jammu andKashmir, and thereafter all the entire narration of events. There is already enough time, and that Gen.Musharraf has had. It is vital that he recognises the urgency of the situation.

Ms. Nirupama Rao: (Official Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs): Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, wewill have to end it here.