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India wants terror set-up dismantled: Sinha

By Vinay Shukla in Moscow
May 17, 2003 21:06 IST

New Delhi wants a complete dismantling of infrastructure that supports anti-India terrorism, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said in Moscow on Friday.

He said any rise or fall in the number of terrorists crossing into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan does not mean much.

"The level of infiltration is not an indicator of terrorism. Infiltration is like a tap that can be turned on or off. There is a need to destroy the reservoirs of terror and the pipes through which it flows," Sinha said, addressing a Moscow-based Indian community.

He said he conveyed this message to US Secretary of State Colin Powell during their meeting in the Russian capital on Tuesday.

Describing Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's initiative for normalisation of relations with Pakistan as 'historic', Sinha said this time there would not be any 'summit' with Pakistan until all issues are settled at the official level.

Sinha also told the community that he has strongly taken up issues like visa and other problems concerning expatriate Indians with the Russian leadership.

In Moscow, Sinha discussed bilateral trade and economic cooperation with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and leaders of the Russian business community.

"I am going back with very good overall impression, it was a complete visit," Sinha said before leaving for St Petersburg.

On Friday, he signed the protocol of Indo-Russian Inter Governmental Commission along with Russian Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Ilya Klebanov.

After spending two nights in St Petersburg, Sinha flies on Sunday to London to attend the Commonwealth Ministerial meet.

Vinay Shukla in Moscow
Source: PTI
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