The Hindu : Global terrorism to dominate Indo-Russia summit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 03, 2002

International

International

Global terrorism to dominate Indo-Russia summit

By Vladimir Radyuhin

Moscow Dec. 2. The Russian Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, today took a jibe at countries trying "to capitalise on the anti-terror slogans for achieving their foreign policy and domestic goals'', in an apparent reference to Pakistan and the United States.

He devoted two-thirds of his extensive write-up on the Indo-Russian foreign policy cooperation to international terrorism, in a sign that the problem will dominate the international agenda of the upcoming bilateral summit in New Delhi.

Diplomatic sources said the anti-terrorism part of a joint political declaration to be signed during the Russian President, Vladimir Putin's visit to India was strengthened after last month's hostage drama in Moscow, when Chechen terrorists seized a packed theatre.

Meanwhile, a Russian-Pakistani Joint Working Group on terrorism began its first two-day meeting here today, co-chaired by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Anatoly Safonov, and the Additional Foreign Secretary, Aneesuddin Ahmed.

The establishment of the group, agreed upon in August, is in line with Russia's efforts to engage Pakistan on the issue of international terrorism.

In an interview to The Hindu ahead of his India visit, Mr. Putin called for "stimulating'' the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, to do more to combat terrorism.

The JWG with Pakistan gives a new tinge to Russia's policy on international terrorism.

So far, Russia had formed such bodies with countries that were victims of terrorism and/or stood in the forefront of the international struggle against terrorism, such as India, China, and the U.S.

The case of Pakistan is different. It is for the first time that Moscow has set up a body for co-ordinating anti-terrorist efforts with a country it accused of tolerating terrorist activity against Russia's strategic ally, India.

Russian diplomats confirmed that another JWG with Pakistan on strategic stability would meet some time next year.

The timing for the inaugural meeting of the Russian-Pakistani JWG on terrorism also gives a peculiar setting to the Indo-Russian summit from December 3 to 5.

Islamabad has already described the JWG as a diplomatic coup for Pakistan and a "significant development in Pakistan-Russia relations.''

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