The Hindu : Talks with Pak. only after terrorism ends: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

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Talks with Pak. only after terrorism ends: PM

Gangtok April 14. Asserting that India wanted friendly relations with all its neighbours, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said talks with Pakistan would be held only after it stopped cross-border terrorism.

``To create a conducive atmosphere for talks, it is imperative that cross-border terrorism is stopped immediately,'' Mr Vajpayee told a news conference at the end of his four-day visit to Sikkim.

He said talks with the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, could not succeed because he refused to accept Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India.

On the India-China border dispute, Mr Vajpayee said talks were on to resolve the issue. ``Talks are going as scheduled and will continue in future. We also want good trade relations with China.''

About militant training camps in Bhutan, the Prime Minister said talks were on with the Bhutanese Government. ``India wants Bhutan to be free of terrorist activities. Camps of the United Liberation Front of Asom are a problem for that country also.'' On the Karmapa issue, he said, ``silence is my answer''.

Ties with Iraq

Visualising good relations with the post-Saddam regime in Iraq, the Prime Minister maintained that it would have been better had there been no war. ``India has always shared good relations with Iraq. We want the relationship to continue even after a post-war government is installed in Baghdad.'' Mr. Vajpayee called for a speedy reconstruction of Iraq. ``As the war is now coming to an end, we are looking forward to a quick reconstruction and rehabilitation work in Iraq.''

Aid for Sikkim

Mr. Vajpayee announced a Rs. 360-crore Sikkim development package, including construction of an airport at a cost of Rs. 160 crores and upgrading of road links, and assured all assistance to the State to make it one of the most attractive tourist destinations.

Besides the construction of the airport, the package includes upgrading of the National Highway 31-A, construction of an alternative highway between West Bengal and Sikkim, modernisation of Gangtok Hospital and expansion of the Governor's House and the Secretariat.

He said the NHPC's 2200-crore Teesta hydel power project which was to be completed in six stages and the Rs. 160-crore airport project at Gangtok were designed to give that the much-needed infrastructure boost.

He said that while announcing the 110-crore Central assistance for the construction of an airport here yesterday he had forgotten to add to it Rs. 50 crores to be spent over the project by the Planning Commission. — UNI, PTI

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