Wednesday, September 20 2006 16:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: Highlighting the conducive environment created by the recent Havana meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf forresolution of bilateral issues, India has expressed the hope that the atmosphere would not be spoilt now by any incident like a terrorist attack.

In an address to the Asia society here last night,Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma recalled the previous occasions when a major terrorist incident gave a setback to attempts to resolve issues and put the Indo-Pak ties on an even keel at a time when the efforts were proceeding smoothly.

Noting that the recent Mumbai blasts were a case in point, he said, without blaming anyone, that such incidents cannot be ignored when dozens die or maimed for life. In this context, he also stressed the need for international cooperation to fight terrorism.

He said the Singh-Musharraf meeting in Havana last week created a conducive environment for resolution of bilateral issues and hoped that nothing, like a terrorist incident, would happen to spoil the atmosphere.

"Sharma, who is here for the United Nations General Assembly session, expressed confidence that civilian nuclear deal between the US and India, now pending before the American Congress, would go through. It is in the interest of both India and the US, the two major democracies, who now are no longer on a collision course," he said.

"The energy needs of India and China,"he said, are expected to rise sharply as the two nations are progressing at a very fast pace.