The Hindu : Russia to stress on de-escalation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003

International

International

Russia to stress on de-escalation

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW FEB. 18. The Russian leadership will emphasise the need for defusing Indo-Pak. tensions at the coming talks here with the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha.

Mr. Sinha's visit to Russia from February 19 to 21 will be the first high-level interaction between New Delhi and Moscow after the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf's visit earlier this month. "The situation in South Asia will be given special attention at the talks in the context of the need to reduce tension in Indo-Pakistani relations," a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman told the RIA Novosti news agency today.

"As before, the Russian side takes the view that Islamabad must fully implement its obligations to stop cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and eliminate the terrorist infrastructure," Alexander Yakovenko said, adding this would create the necessary conditions for resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan.

The Russian spokesman said the talks would also cover Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea and West Asia as well as bilateral relations, terrorism and strategic stability.

India's ambassador to Russia, Krishnan Raghunath, said Mr. Sinha would also discuss the situation in Central Asia and India's growing involvement in the region, which the Minister visited recently. Mr. Sinha's visit is also part of preparations for an annual meeting in April of the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific-Technical and Cultural Cooperation, which he co-chairs with the Russian Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Ilya Klebanov.

In the run-up to Mr. Sinha's visit, the Indo-Russian Joint Business Council met here today under the co-chairmanship of the president of the Russian Chamber of Trade and Industry, Yevgeny Primakov, and the Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who is leading a 25-member FICCI delegation to Russia. It is the first session of JBC in six years, which reflected a low ebb in bilateral commercial ties.

Indo-Russian trade had been stagnating at about $1.5 billion a year; Russian investment in India in 1991-2001 amounted to a meagre $129 million, while Indian investment in Russia was altogether negligible at $2.3 million.

Citing these figures Mr. Primakov called for invigorating the work of the JBC to promote greater awareness about business opportunities in both countries. The JBC decided to hold its sessions henceforth on an annual basis and to set up working groups for investment, trade and sector-wise cooperation.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

`Security measures not lax '

Pak. troubled by rhetoric of liberal Indian leaders: Kasuri

U.S. in for tough time on Iraq

Blair sticks to his guns

Paris move signals growing rift with U.S.

Arson: toxic gases impede rescue work

Last chance, E.U. tells Baghdad

N. Korea threatens to pull out of peace treaty

Unheard of harassment: Pak.

Chandrika inaugurates online distance-learning project

Bhatty granted visa

Russia to stress on de-escalation