Author: PTI
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: September 27, 2011
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/pioneer-news/top-story/9475-cant-have-selective-approach-in-fighting-terror-india-to-us.html
India has conveyed to the US that countries
with a "determined position to fight terror" cannot be selective
in their approach in dealing with the menace and have to fight the scourge
together "across the board".
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna discussed
the issue of terror with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a bilateral
meeting that lasted here for over 40 minutes.
Terming the meeting as "very good and
constructive," Krishna later told reporters that the two sides spent
time on discussing the issue of terrorism and condemned the recent attacks
on the American mission in Kabul and at the High Court in New Delhi.
"I made out the point that it is necessary
for all those countries which have taken the determined position to fight
terror will have to act together and fight it across the board without being
selective in our approach," he said adding that "Secretary Clinton
agreed with us."
The talks also featured concerns over the
Haqqani network with the External Affairs Minister pointing out that "whenever
terror comes up for discussion, the Haqqani group is certainly a factor which
is woven into terrorism."
On whether America's recent accusation against
ISI for supporting the deadly Haqqani network has brought a sense of unity
between India and the US on Pakistan, Krishna said "it is not a question
of America agreeing with India and India agreeing with Pakistan."
He said the countries have to see what is
"our approach, reaction, response to terror.
"If the position US takes on terror is
exactly similar to the position India takes that does not mean to say that
they have been converted to our position or we have taken position similar
to them."
The two sides also followed up on the civil
nuclear treaty and discussed what needs to be done further.
Clinton urged Krishna to ensure that India's
nuclear liability regime conforms with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation
for Nuclear damage, an American official said requesting anonymity.
Krishna and Clinton discussed a host of multilateral
issues including the situation in Palestine, Sudan and Syria.
When asked to comment on the divergent views
that India and the US have on Syria and Palestine, Krishna said as Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh has said in his address to the UN General Assembly, "We
cannot order how nations set their house in order."
On concerns that momentum of the India-US
relations appear to be slowing down, with certain defence contracts not being
awarded to US companies, Krishna said this is not an issue by which US would
be offended.
He said defence contracts are awarded on basis
of merit and are a comparative tabulated evaluation done by a committee of
experts. "I do not think anybody can take offence if we chose something
else. US has been into this long enough not to misjudge the relationship based
only on a particular issue. We will have to take the generality," he
added.
Krishna said he was "quite satisfied"
with the outcome of his talks.
Clinton complimented India on its active participation
in the New Silk Road initiative to strengthen transit and trade in South and
Central Asia.
"The ministers compared notes on the
upcoming New Silk Road conference in Istanbul in early November," the
official said.
