'We Would Need Positive Responses'

Navtej Sarna: We have a press release on the Fifth ASEAN-India Senior Officials Meeting held in New Delhi on May 20, 2003. Iwill just highlight a couple of points. The meeting undertook a comprehensive review of the entire gamut ofIndia-ASEAN relations and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest particularlyexpressing satisfaction that ASEAN-India trade had registered a growth of over 300% since 1991-92 andpresently amounts to over US$ 10 billion.

The First India-ASEAN Summit has taken a decision to intensify cooperation in combating trans-nationalcrimes including international terrorism and the present meeting discussed the follow up to that. During thismeeting India once again reiterated her support for the Initiative for ASEAN Integration. The next meeting ofIndia-ASEAN Senior Officials will be held in Lao PDR on 25-26 March 2004.

Is it true that India is not attending SAARC Education Ministers’ Meeting in Islamabad?

I have seen this news report which talks about Education Ministers Meeting of SAARC in Islamabad. I want toclarify that the Conference of Education Ministers apparently being organised in Pakistan is not a SAARCevent. There wasn’t and there is no proposal for such a meeting of SAARC Ministers of Education and thisevent is not included in the SAARC calendar of the events for this year. Therefore the question of the India’sMinister for HRD not attending a SAARC Conference does not arise at all in this context.

Then who is organising this conference?

What I understand is that this is a conference under the Education For All Framework which involves UNESCO.

Prime Minister Jamali has stated that India should tackle terrorists in its territory. Any comment onthat?

I have not seen this particular statement. But without reacting to that India is determined to fightterrorism and we have been doing so. The problem that we have been facing is that of cross border terrorism.

Prime Minister Jamali also said that Pakistan do not have control on all terrorists. Any comments?

I don’t want get into that at this stage. But our External Affairs Minister has responded to a similarquestion in London when he said that 500 Al-Qaeda, Taliban, etc have been handed over to US and that speaksfor itself.

Foreign Minister of Pakistan has said that if Pakistan cannot control terrorist infiltration then Indiacan help… (inaudible)

I wouldn’t like to second guess what the Foreign Minister has said and what he had in his mind when hesaid that. But I can explain to you. This issue usually comes up when Pakistan talks about bringing ininternational monitors. In that situation we have told them that there is nobody better who knows this terrainthan India and Pakistan. So there is a possibility of joint monitoring in case sufficient amount of confidencecan be built.

Anything on CMAG? Pakistan has been kept out from the Commonwealth. What happened to Zimbabwe?

I have here the entire statement that was issued by CMAG. I can read out the paragraph regarding Zimbabwe.CMAG received an update from the Secretary-General on recent developments in Zimbabwe. The Group noted theCommonwealth Statement on Zimbabwe of 16 March 2003, and the Secretary-General's Report to the 'Troika'subsequently circulated by the Chairperson-in-Office to all Commonwealth Heads of Government. CMAG maintainedthe decision taken at its last meeting to keep Zimbabwe on its agenda.

Any reaction to Pakistan being kept out of Commonwealth?

External Affairs Minister has said in London that he has nothing to add to the statement that CMAG hasissued.

So India agrees with the CMAG decision?

You have seen that there is the CMAG statement, which is taken out by all countries. India was one of them.

Any dates for the resumption of India-Pakistan dialogue?

We had made two proposals. We had taken action on two points. We have already announced our HighCommissioner and on Civil Aviation links we have asked for clarification. That’s where matters stand. Ireally see no use in going over this everyday asking if there are any dates. You know the steps that have beenoutlined, you know the possibilities of movement, you know that we would need positive responses.

Is Mr. Menon in town?

I personally do not know. But I have seen the news report on the ticker.