U.S. hopes India, Pak. will resume dialogue

By K. K. Katyal

NEW DELHI, DEC. 22. The U.S. has applauded the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's decision to extend the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir beyond the month of Ramzan, as stipulated earlier. It is encouraged by steps taken on both sides to reduce violence and respects India's efforts to engage in substantive talks with a wide range of leaders in Kashmir. It hopes ``conditions will permit India to resume the dialogue with Pakistan, envisioned in the Lahore Declaration.''

This is how the U.S. views - in the words of its ambassador, Mr. Richard Celeste, - the latest developments in the wake of New Delhi's initiatives. In an address to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation on ``Indo-U.S. Relations: Building a dynamic partnership for the 21st century'', Mr. Celeste says: ``My country shares the concern of many of India's friends about tensions between India and Pakistan which have been especially high since the Kargil war last year. For many Indians, the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton's visit to this country did not conclude until he completed his national televised speech to the people of Pakistan. His message calling for respect for the Line of Control, reduced violence and renewed dialogue was articulated clearly then and continues to guide our policy today.''

In a balanced appraisal of the development of Indo-U.S. relations he, on the one hand, dwells on the ``robust partnership agenda'' and, on the other, on some ``serious obstacles''. In the first category, he mentions 1) the establishment of a joint working group on counter-terrorism, with initial focus on Afghan-based terrorist organisations and on specific terrorist acts such as the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight last Christmas, 2) discussions on strengthening India's regime for export control for sensitive materials, 3) counter-narcotics collaboration, involving expanded shared intelligence collection, 4) the joint economic dialogue, seeking to address mutual concerns affecting two-way trade.

Notable among the obstacles are the issues relating to trade and economic reforms and nuclear non-proliferation. As regards economic matters, he notes the sustained high rate of growth, generated by the opening up of the economy in 1991 but adds: ``Political pressures within the governing coalition and outside it have slowed down the reform agenda, causing the investors in the U.S. to tread cautiously when considering India as a destination.''

On nuclear non-proliferation, he has this to say: ``Since India tested nuclear weapons and announced its intention to build a minimum credible nuclear deterrent, we have laboured long and hard together on aspects of a non-proliferation framework - signature on the CTBT, strengthening export controls, constructive effort to negotiate a FMCT, and restraint in the deployment of nuclear weapons. Beyond India's self-imposed moratorium on testing and serious work to strengthen export controls, progress in this arena has been grudging.''

The new administration, according to him, will have to decide early on whether to maintain the current sanctions, mostly relating to military sales, high-level engagement and technology transfer or adopt a new approach. Whatever its inclination, it will be critically important, he says, to carry forward the candid and constructive dialogue on nuclear and security matters at a level similar to the Talbott-Singh talks.

Viewed in totality, in his opinion, ``we have moved from paranoia to partnership'' in the bilateral field.

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