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US welcomes Indo-Pak talks at SAARC summit

The Clinton administration has welcomed the meeting between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharief in Colombo during the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation summit.

''This is also a step that has been urged by their friends in the world community,'' Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Karl F Inderfurth said at a meeting of the Indian American Friendship Council in Washington on Tuesday.

He recalled what Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott had said on the subject, ''We think it is very good thing that direct Pakistani-Indian dialogue is to resume and we will be watching and supporting in every way we can.''

Meanwhile, Talbott has clarified that the high-level dialogue that the Clinton administration has initiated with India and Pakistan after their May nuclear tests seeks to reconcile the vital national interests of the United States and the world in nuclear non-proliferation with that of the national interests of India and Pakistan.

Talbott, who spelt out the objectives of the dialogue at a day-long conference of the Indian American Friendship Council in Washington yesterday, said, ''We insist upon the word reconciliation rather than 'compromise,' 'concessions,' 'sacrifice,' or 'rewards'.

''We are not asking either country to do anything that is contrary to its self interests. We are seeking to see how much common ground there is, to build on those areas where there is common ground and find some ways to manage the differences where there is not.''

Expressing his inability to comment in detail on the substance of Talbott's talks with Vajpayee's special envoy Jastwant Singh, Inderfurth said, ''As a result of these diplomatic effort, I can say that we are making progress in defining the principles that will underpin US relations with India and Pakistan in the post-test environment, in laying out our non-proliferation and other objectives and in discussing steps and activities that we believe will be necessary to get us there.''

Inderfurth said the president was and remained very interested in travelling to the region, ''but will do so when circumstances permit his visit to look to the future the kind of relations we hope will characterise the 21st century, not the 20th century.

''We will work very hard to see that happen and will need to keep in touch with you and others in the community to ensure we take the right approach. The future prosperity and stability of the region depends upon it. We remain committed to seeing progress made,'' he added.

UNI

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