Saturday, June 4 2005 16:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hong Kong: Stating that a number of confidence building measures (CBMs) were in the pipeline to propel the peace process with Pakistan, India today (Jun 4, 2005) nevertheless made it clear that much will depend on Islamabad honouring its commitment to stop cross-border terrorism through "concrete actions".

"We sincerely desire to find mutually acceptable solutions to all outstanding issues with Pakistan by carrying forward the current composite dialogue process and by making our quest for abiding peace irreversible," visiting External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said while addressing prominent members of the Indian community in Hong Kong.

At the same time, we remain firm in our conviction over the need for a complete cessation of cross-border terrorism, including the dismantling of terrorist training camps and launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), he said.

Singh, who spoke on major foreign policy initiatives taken by the (United Progressive Alliance) UPA Government during the last one year, said India welcomed President Pervez Musharraf's pledge during his visit to India in April this year to not allow terrorism to impede the bilateral peace process.

"Much of the progress will depend on the actual situation on the ground and on Pakistan's sincerity to translate its commitments into concrete actions," he said.

More confidence building measures

Singh said a number of confidence building measures are in the pipeline, which should bring our relationship out of the long shadows of mutual distrust.

"We are also striving to expand the agenda of mutually beneficial cooperation," he said citing then example of the two sides exploring cooperation in petroleum and natural gas sectors, including on the issue of pipeline from Iran through Pakistan.

He said India has highlighted the importance of human dimension in its negotiations with Pakistan and has accordingly initiated several measures to enhance interaction and cooperation across the LoC with a view to bring divided families together and enhance trade, pilgrimages and cultural interactions between the two sides.

On the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, he said it has created a positive impact on the public opinion on both sides of the LoC.

India-China relations

On relations with China, he said India viewed it in a positive spirit and had taken several measures across wide ranging areas without allowing the existing differences to affect the overall development of bilateral ties.

"At the same time, we remain committed to proactively addressing these differences, including the boundary question," he stressed.

Observing that during the recent visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to India the two sides had agreed to establish a strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity, he said this reflected their consensus that India-China relations have acquired a long-term, global and strategic character.

On the vexed boundary question, Singh said "we acknowledge the complexity of this issue, but at the same time remain committed to carrying forward the process of exploring a political settlement through the mechanism of Special Representatives" (SRs).

India's SR and National Security Adviser M K Narayanan is likely to meet his Chinese counterpart Dai Bingguo in August this year in Beijing. The two had met in Delhi on the eve of Wen's visit and firmed up broad political parametres and guiding principles for the resolution of the boundary question.

The Foreign Minister said the UPA Government was committed to according the highest priority to closer political, economic and other ties with India's neighbours in South Asia and a greater and more meaningful integration with its extended neighbourhood in Southeast and East Asia, while building on traditional links with West and central Asia.

"We have also underlined the importance of closer engagement and relations with the US, while maintaining the independence of India's foreign policy position on all regional and global issues," he said adding that ties with Russia and Europe had also been further consolidated.

India, he said, looked at the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) process with great expectation to strengthen cross-border economic linkages while drawing upon the complementarities among different part of the region.

This would help unleash the true potential of cooperation that could irreversibly put South Asia on the road to prosperity and development, he said.