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Pak should create climate for talks: Russia

Vinay Shukla in Moscow

Russia on Tuesday put the onus on Pakistan to create a conducive climate for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue.

Moscow is sending its Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to India and Pakistan early next month to bolster international diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the current standoff between the two South Asian neighbours.

Ivanov conveyed the Russian view on Indo-Pak face off to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's special envoy Asfand Yar Wali and former Pakistan deputy foreign minister Najamuddin Shiekh.

The two had called on Ivanov to deliver Musharraf's message to President Vladimir Putin explaining Islamabad's steps in scaling down Indo-Pak tensions.

Ivanov told the Pakistani envoy that through its concrete actions Islamabad should create a favourable base for resumption of dialogue with New Delhi, according to a foreign office statement.

While commending the steps taken by Musharraf to end extremism in that country Ivanov, however, linked improvement in Moscow's ties with Islamabad to the extent Pakistan was willing to go with the international community in combating terrorism by closing terrorist bases on its soil, terminating financial and other assistance to the jihadi and terrorist outfits.

"Ivanov will first visit New Delhi for extensive talks with the Indian leadership and leaders of political parties and then he will pay a similar visit to Islamabad," ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Najmuddin Sheikh as saying.

As Musharraf's special envoy began his talks with Ivanov, a group of activists of Liberal Democratic Party of ultra-nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky demonstrated in front of Indian embassy in Moscow to express solidarity with India in its stand off with Pakistan.

The Russian foreign ministry statement said Ivanov 'pointed out that Moscow expects Islamabad to carry through the measures announced by President Musharraf to curb the activities of extremist organisations operating in territory under Pakistani control'.

"This would provide the basis for the resumption of dialogue between Islamabad and Delhi," it said.

Both the Pakistani officials told a news conference that Islamabad would prefer international mediation to solve the Kashmir issue.

"Our preferences apart, we are also prepared to pursue the bilateral path and are seeking a resumption of the dialogue with India," Sheikh said.

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