The Hindu : We'll make them step back: Powell

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 25, 2002

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We'll make them step back: Powell

Moscow May 24. Stating that the tension between India and Pakistan has reached a ``very critical point'', the United States today said it would get the two countries to ``step back'' and decided to work closely with Russia to defuse the stand-off.

Speaking on the sidelines of U.S.-Russia Summit here, the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said the situation was ``very dangerous and I hope both sides realise they are at a very critical point''.

Gen. Powell, who spoke to the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, and also the External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, on phone, said ``we will get them to step back''.

At their summit meeting, the U.S. President, George W. Bush, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, agreed to work closely to defuse the Indo-Pak. stand off and Moscow is sending an envoy to Islamabad ahead of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage's South Asia mission, official sources said.

The sources also did not rule out roping in China for convincing its close ally, Islamabad, for a crackdown on terrorist network operating in Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistani soil.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Putin also signed a joint statement on combating terrorism, in which they have mentioned their desire to closely interact with Shanghai Six, of which China is a key member along with Russia.

PTI

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