The following press releases were issued:
- Indian Council of World Affairs to organise a seminar on Media and National Crisis.
- The third meeting of the India-Russia Joint Working Group on Afghanistan.
Telephonic Conversation between External Affairs Minister Shri Jaswant Singh and French Foreign Minister Mr. Hubert Vedrine.
The Spokesperson informed the media about the External Affairs Minister’s telephonic conversation with the French Foreign Minister Mr. Hubert Vedrine yesterday. She said that they had spoken about the post conflict situation in Afghanistan and the structure
that the international community is looking at setting up in Afghanistan, obviously, in full consultation with the Afghan people.
Responding to the questions the Spokesperson and Brig. Singh said the following:
- Asked about India’s role in working out the post Taliban set up in Afghanistan, the Spokesperson reiterated that India supports a broad-based, multi-ethnic, fully representative government in Afghanistan. She confirmed that King Zahir Shah is also being
consulted in this process and what India is looking at is an inclusive process, but one which does not provide any place for extremist and terrorist elements. - Asked about the role of "6+2" group and Russia’s view on India’s inclusion, the Spokesperson said that this is a subject under discussion and that it did figure in the talks held with the Russian side in the last two days. Obviously the situation in this
regard has to crystallise as discussions go on. The focus basically is to look at the post conflict situation in Afghanistan and what the involvement of countries in Afghanistan’s neighbourhood should be; obviously countries like India are in Afghanistan’s
neighbourhood and India has a stake in the future of Afghanistan by virtue of the fact that we have had close, fraternal ties with Afghanistan for centuries now. India’s concern about events there and the fact that these events have an impact on India is well
known and it is understood by the countries in the "6+2". She also said that it was still too early to say what proportions this structure would assume as many countries have expressed interest in this process. She added that India has been discussing this
with Russia as well as many other countries in the region and India’s concern about developments in Afghanistan is very much on the radar screen as it were. As far as the discussions with Mr.Trubnikov went, she said that they were extremely useful, very positive
and Russia and India shared views on a number of subjects eg., on the question of terrorism itself, the two sides agreed that there were no "good" or "bad" terrorists. Recalling the visit of President Putin of Russia to India in October,2000 and the joint
declaration thereof, the Spokesperson said that it was clearly stated in that declaration that India and Russia shared a common approach on international terrorism and the need to control it as also the need for a global approach, and that, in many ways, was
now being put in place as it has gained further relevance and significance in the post September 11 scenario. - Asked about the situation on the LoC, Brig. Jaspal Singh said that everything was normal and routine in nature and there was no unusual activity reported so far.
- Asked whether there had been any exchange of fire along the LoC, Brig. Singh said that there had been some sporadic firing here and there but it was all very normal and routine.
- Asked to comment about media reports in Pakistan about Prime Minister meeting Gen. Musharraf in New York, the Spokesperson replied that it was purely hypothetical.
- Asked to comment about the role of "Moderate Talibans" the Spokesperson said that the term ‘Moderate Taliban’ was a contradiction in terms – "oxymoronic" as our Minister referred to it. In India’s view, there is no role for Taliban in the future in the
post conflict set up in Afghanistan. She reiterated that India’s approach is for a multi-ethnic, representative government which will meet the aspirations of all the Afghan people and most importantly which does not export terrorism and extremism as its core
ideology. - Asked about the inclusion of the Pashtuns the Spokesperson said that we would not like to prognosticate or value judge the situation at this stage. Obviously, the Pashtuns as a large ethnic group in Afghanistan would have to be part of a future set-up in
Afghanistan. - Asked whether the inclusion of ‘Moderate Talibans’ in the new set up was one issue on which India differed with the US, the Spokesperson said that we had expressed our views on the subject to Secretary Powell when he was here. We heard them out on this
subject and we believe that even in the United States, views have not crystalised in any significant measure on this. However, as far as the ‘Moderate Talibans’ are concerned she said that we have expressed our concerns not only to the United States but to
all the other interlocutors with whom we have had discussions on the subject. She reiterated that there are no good or bad terrorists, terrorists are terrorists. - Asked whether we have had contacts with King Zahir Shah, the Spokesperson confirmed that we had had contacts with the King, but said that she could not divulge the details on the nature of discussions.
- Asked about the agenda of the Prime Minister during his visit to Washington, the Spokesperson said that we are in the process of firming up the agenda, finalising our approach and she added that we are approaching this visit as an important one. Regarding
the dates she said that as indicated by Secretary Powell we were looking at the 9th of November. - Asked to comment about the proposals made by Mr. Munir Akram of Pakistan, regarding building of confidence on the nuclear issues, the Spokesperson said that these proposals were old. They have been stated and restated by Pakistan since 1998 and as far as
India is concerned there is a commonly agreed approach between India and Pakistan which was reflected in the MoU signed by the two Foreign Secretaries at the Lahore meeting in 1999. Those are the parameters on which India would like to proceed. We see Mr.
Akram’s proposals as India centric. They are not addressing the problem or the issue as we see it in the bilateral context. The MoU signed in Lahore aims at basically addressing the issue in this bilateral context. Taking up from there we had suggested to
Pakistan before the Agra Summit that the officials should begin talks on nuclear confidence building. There had been no response from Pakistan. She also drew the media’s attention to Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood’s statement in New York just a few days ago
which states our policy approach to the question of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in very clear and unambiguous terms. - Asked when the visit of the Indian DGMO to Pakistan is likely to take place, the Spokesperson stated India awaited a response from Pakistan to the proposal made on the eve of the Agra Summit As far as normal telephonic contacts between DGMOs go these continue
to take place every Tuesdays. She said that day before yesterday the two DGMOs had spoken and discussed the situation along the LoC. As far as the visit of our DGMO to Pakistan is concerned we awaited a response from the Pakistan side. She also said that all
proposals and measures identified in our announcements made before the Agra Summit continue to be on the table. - Asked about the progress in the transportation of relief supplies to Afghanistan, the Spokesperson said that some discussions had taken place with the Pakistani authorities and our intention is that the Indian Railways should carry these supplies free of
charge to whatever point possible and from there to be taken by the Pakistan Railways to the Refugee camps. Modalities are being discussed and we await a response from the Pakistani side. - Asked about the expansion of the "6+2" and India’s involvement and the UN role, the Spokesperson said that India is involved in the process of consultations on the post conflict situation in Afghanistan at this moment, although we are not directly within
the "6+2" mechanism. She said she believed that there is an all round recognition that post September 11 the situation has acquired a certain dynamic and by virtue of this fact there is a logic and rationale to look at the involvement of a larger number of
countries in these discussions relating to Afghanistan. She also mentioned that in the discussions with Russia, the Russian side was strongly of the view that India and Russia must work together in this process. - Asked about visas to the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus the Spokesperson said that some of them have come back to India and our High Commission in Islamabad has been in touch with the Government of India about the grant of visas for such people some of whom have
come over to Pakistan and are staying in Gurudwaras there, awaiting clearances for their visa requests to come to India. We are facilitating such requests to the maximum extent possible. - Asked whether the reports about the evacuation of 30 Pakistani villages near the LoC had any military significance, Brig. Singh said that the Pakistani spokesperson had said that they were in a state of high alert and nothing more than that. However, he
added that there is no heightened tension on our side and that the Pakistani claims of heightened tension have been rejected by our Ministry of Defence.
Press Briefing
Ministry Of External Affairs, India
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