Demanding a "comprehensive and not partial" action by Pakistan against terrorism, India today said that Russia shared its concerns about threats emanating from the Pakistani tribal belt along the Afghan border, a safe haven for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.
"India and Russia have similar approaches. The desire is to put an end to terrorism and threats emanating from the Pakistani tribal areas," visiting foreign secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters here after her parleys with the Russian officials.
She was responding to a question about Russia's growing
engagement with Pakistan and hosting of a quadripartite summit
by president Dmitry Medvedev later this month with the leaders
of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
"Involvement of Pakistan is a reality, which no one can ignore. The issue is to convey a message to Islamabad the action against
terrorism has to be comprehensive and not partial," Rao said, adding that this is what both countries want.
Rao, who was here on a three-day visit for the regular foreign secretary-level consultations, said that India and Russia have affirmed their commitment to jointly work for promoting, peace, security and stability in Afghanistan.
The two countries "share views on the situation in Afghanistan and reiterate their commitment to jointly work on promoting peace and stability in the country, which is a part of the calculus in promoting regional connectivity for development," she said.
Rao yesterday held talks with her Russian counterpart, first deputy foreign minister Andrei Denisov, and deputy foreign minister Alexei Borodavkin on a wide range of bilateral and international issues, including situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Her Moscow visit had acquired special importance in the wake of last month's Kabul conference on Afghanistan's future.
"The red lines for the integration of Taliban fighters into the Afghan mainstream were drawn by the London Conference
(January 2010), which clearly laid the guidelines for this. I think Minister (Sergei) Lavrov also spoke about it (at Kabul meet).
"They (Taliban) have to cut linkages with al-Qaeda and other terrorists groups, lay down arms and respect the principles enshrined in Afghan Constitution," Rao said, underscoring that both Moscow and New Delhi still hold this view.
Major part of Rao's consultations yesterday at the foreign ministry and her separate meeting today with deputy prime minister Sergei Sobyanin was devoted to the preparations for the next Indo-Russian summit in New Delhi later this year, for which President Medvedev is scheduled to visit India.
Ahead of the summit, Sobyanin, who is co-chair of the Intergovernmental Joint Commission along with external affairs
minister SM Krishna, is to visit New Delhi in October for the
annual session and also to attend the 4th Indo-Russian Forum
on Trade and Investments.
During her parleys with Sobyanin, Rao discussed a whole range of issues for boosting trade and economic cooperation to achieve the $20-billion mark in bilateral commerce.
Responding to a question, she said cooperation, including in hydro-carbons and civilian nuclear energy was discussed with Sobyanin. However, she declined to go into details.
