Kashmir not central issue, PM tells U.S.

NEW DELHI, OCT. 17. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said he had made it clear to the U.S. that Kashmir was not ``central'' to the relationship between India and Pakistan, and the U.S. Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, also ``amended'' his views.

Gen. Powell was ``categorically told that we do not agree that Kashmir is a central issue... He has also made some amendment in his views,'' Mr. Vajpayee, who had a meeting with the Secretary of State earlier in the day, told reporters after a book release function at his residence.

Maintaining that there was no proposal for an immediate dialogue with Pakistan, the Prime Minister said India was ready to discuss the Kashmir issue as part of a composite dialogue process, but would not accept it as a pre-condition.

``We want a solution to this issue (Kashmir) without which our relations with Pakistan may not improve... We are ready for talks on the issue, but it cannot be a condition,'' Mr. Vajpayee said.

The Prime Minister said that though India was also keen to resolve the Kashmir problem, there were other problems that should be discussed with Pakistan.

- PTI

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