Indo-Pak talks hinges on PM-Musharraf meet

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the meeting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with President Pervez Musharraf in Havana next week, India on Friday made it clear that unless the issue of terrorism is addressed in a "substantive way" by Pakistan, it would be difficult to carry forward the dialogue process.

New Delhi said the dates for the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary level talks, aborted in the wake of July 11 Mumbai blasts, could be set only if there is "satisfactory" outcome of the parleys between Singh and Musharraf and Islambad shows willingness to work with India to eliminate the "shared threat" of terrorism.

"Both leaders (Singh and Musharraf) are very conscious of the importance of the Indo-Pak relations and both leaders are committed to taking forward the dialogue and peace process.

"But at the same time there is recognition that unless the issue of terrorism is addressed (by Pakistan) in a substantive way, it will be difficult to ensure the success of
the dialogue process," Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said while briefing reporters on the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to Brazil and Cuba.

To a question about the resumption of stalled Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries, he said "yes, if the results of the Summit meeting are satisfactory and we
see there is willingness on part of Pakistan to work together with India to deal with what Pakistan itself says is a shared threat of terrorism".

He said if terrorism was a shared threat to both India and Pakistan, then the two countries "should be seen to be working together to eliminate this shared threat."

Maintaining that he would not like to pre-judge the talks between Singh and Musharraf on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Havana on September 15-16, Saran said both India and Pakistan knew what needs to be done.

Asked whether Friday's blasts in Malegaon in Maharashtra would vitiate the atmosphere for the talks, he said "I don't know, it will depend on investigations".