Pakistan, India urged to start talks

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin yesterday underscored the "urgent need" for Pakistan and India to end mutual hostility and engage in dialogue to resolve their differences.

The global situation after last year's September 11 attacks in the U.S. and the international fight against terrorism make it essential for the two nuclear-armed neighbours to foster bilateral peace and cooperation, he told reporters.

"In the current global context there is extra incentive for India and Pakistan to resolve their differences," he said, speaking after talks with President Pervez Musharraf.

De Villepin also met separately with Pakistani State Minister for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq and Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider.

His visit was the latest to the region within the international diplomatic peace efforts. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana visited the two countries last week.

Despite Pakistan‚s insistence that it has stopped infiltration into Indian Kashmir from its side of the divided and disputed region, de Villepin said Islamabad should end incursions by militants.

De Villepin said the international community was trying to facilitate contacts between Pakistan and India so that they could get together to find a solution to the long running Kashmir issue between themselves.

"Kashmir is to be discussed between India and Pakistan," he said, stressing that as nuclear-capable countries the two had "special responsibility" for the stability in South Asia.

He welcomed the planned elections in Indian Kashmir in September-October and emphasised that "they have to be held free of violence."

The French foreign minister called on India to ensure that the elections are held in a complete fair, free and transparent manner. He said Franco-Pakistan cooperation would be further strengthened in different fields.
Terrorism

Both countries had suffered at the hands of terrorism, he said, referring to the May 8 bombing in Karachi in which 11 French engineers working on Agosta submarine construction project and three Pakistanis were killed.

"If the terrorists behind this attack thought they could separate France and Pakistan they failed," he said, adding that France was closely cooperating with Pakistan to bring the culprits to justice.

AFP add: Pakistan pledged to stop militants infiltrating into Indian Kashmir de Villepin said.
President Musharraf reiterated his commitment to completely halt cross-border activity of militants , de Villepin told reporters.

"The determination shown by President Musharraf's government (to stop infiltration) is total," de Vellepin said shortly before ending his eight-hour visit.

The foreign minister said both India and Pakistan were at a "significant milestone" as both prepare for crucial elections. India begins assembly elections in its zone of Kashmir from September 16 to October 8.

Pakistan is also set for a vote to elect a new parliament on October 10 for the first time since Musharraf seized power in a bloodless military coup in October 1999.

"We have confidence that these (election) processes will succeed," the minister said.

"India clearly expects and hopes that the elections (in Kashmir) will be held in good condition, free of violence," de Villepin said adding that he expected there will be "transparency" in the electoral process.

He declined to say if France saw the assembly elections as a substitute for a UN-mandated plebiscite in Kashmir, but said it was a matter to be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan.

He insisted that outsiders could not impose a solution on the two nuclear-capable nations who have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region of Kashmir and came close to a third in May.

The minister said regional stability was essential for global peace and that both sides must choose the path of dialogue to "overcome historic differences" and resolve outstanding issues.

De Villepin spent the night in New Delhi, where he urged both countries to resume dialogue and ease tensions amid a renewed international diplomatic push to end the dangerous standoff.