`Address cross-border terrorism first'

NEW DELHI, AUG. 13. India has conveyed to Pakistan that it needed to address cross-border terrorism for normalisation of relations between the two countries.

Replying to queries on the recent meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries in Colombo, on the sidelines of the SAARC standing committee meeting, the Foreign Office spokesperson, Ms. Nirupama Rao, said ``cross-border terrorism occupies paramount position in bilateral relations''.

The matter was raised by the Foreign Secretary, Ms. Chokila Iyer, with her Pakistani counterpart, Mr. Inamul Haq.

Pakistan had been made well aware of the need to address cross- border terrorism if progress had to be made towards normalisation of relations.

The spokesperson said both countries were committed to continue the dialogue process.

On the next summit between the leaders of India and Pakistan, the spokesperson said no time-frame had been fixed.

Sanctions

The U.S. has not given a clear indication of any time- frame for lifting of unilateral sanctions imposed after the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests.

``There is no clear indication of any time-frame on how they are actually going to lift these sanctions,'' the spokesperson said.

She was asked about a Washington Post report that the Bush administration would start working with the Congress next month to lift sanctions against India, paving the way for greater military planning, joint operations and eventual sharing of weapons technology with New Delhi.

The spokesperson said during the recent visits of Mr. Armitage and the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Ms. Christina B Rocca, they had conveyed to New Delhi that the Bush administration was consulting the U.S. Congress on this issue.

She said India had always maintained that the sanctions were ``unjustified and counter-productive in creation of a positive atmosphere and for laying the foundation of a broad-based, forward-looking relationship between India and the U.S.. The U.S. is well informed about it''.

- UNI, PTI

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