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'India could resume talks if terrorism ends'
By Atul Aneja
The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and his British counterpart, Tony Blair, exchanging documents of the Delhi Declaration in New Delhi on Sunday. - Photo: V Sudershan
NEW DELHI, JAN. 6. The visiting British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, today urged India and Pakistan to begin a comprehensive dialogue, provided cross-border terrorism was terminated.
``There are two sides to the equation. On the one hand, there has to be complete rejection of terrorism and end to support to it in any form. And then meaningful dialogue can begin'', Mr. Blair said at a press conference here this evening.
Replying to a volley of questions on the present situation between India and Pakistan, Mr. Blair repeated the linkage between terrorism and recommencement of talks.
Britain, he said, welcomed some of the steps taken by Pakistan to curb terrorism. But ``rather there must be complete rejection of acts such as December 13.''
India, Mr. Blair added, `` provided the threat of terrorism was lifted, could move to dialogue.''
Concurring with his view, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was also present, said India was ready for a dialogue with Pakistan on all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
His visit to Lahore and the invitation to the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, to Agra were steps in this direction. Mr. Vajpayee, however, questioned Pakistan's commitment to end cross-border terrorism.
He pointed out that in the brief farewell interaction with Gen. Musharraf this morning in Kathmandu after the SAARC summit, he had told the Pakistani leader that his omission of the word ``terrorism'' during his entire address on Saturday, was conspicuous.
``In the entire speech the word terrorism has been avoided. It was a big omission'', Mr. Vajpayee stressed.
India and Britain's joint commitment to counter terrorism was anchored today in the ``New Delhi Declaration.''
The five-page document which covers all aspects of the relations, spells out the four basic principles which bind the two countries to counter terrorism.
First, terrorism cannot be justified on any grounds. Terrorism, the declaration says must be ``condemned unambiguously and eradicated wherever it exists.''
Second, all those who support terrorism directly or indirectly must be condemned, including those individuals or groups that ``finance, train or provide support for terrorists.''
Third, both countries support the U.N. Securely Council resolution 1373 which makes a comprehensive case for rooting out terrorism globally.
Fourth, both sides agreed to collaborate in the counter-terrorism exercise by including joint training under the framework of the U.K.-India Joint Working Group on terrorism.
Notwithstanding the common standpoint on terrorism, Mr. Vajpayee, emphasised that India, after the attack on its Parliament, was ready to unilaterally crush terrorism, if required.
At the banquet hosted in honour of the visiting dignitary, Mr. Vajpayee said the attack on Parliament ``was an audacious act of provocation. It conveyed to us the stark message that we have to crush this terrorism from its source, even if we have to do it without outside help.''
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