US supports clean NSG waiver for India, says outgoing US envoy Roemer

New Delhi

30 June 2011

The US strongly supports the NSG's clean waiver for India, outgoing

ambassador Timothy Roemer said.

"I want to say that the US and the Obama Administration strongly and vehemently

support the clean waiver for India. The 123 civil nuclear legislation also underscores our

support for India in this debate that is going on and our law also points to the clean

waiver for India," Roemer said in his last interaction with the media.

Asked to comment on the issue of excessive frisking and body searches of Indian

diplomats, officials and other eminent Indians at the US airports, Roemer said the US

was working on these issues to prevent their recurrence in future.

"When Janet Napolitano (US Homeland Security Secretary) was here, she said that we

are working to improve [and] coordinating more and more on travel itineraries [of VIPs]

so that those experiences don't take place in future," Roemer said.

Roemer resigned on April 28, citing personal, professional and family considerations.

Albert Peter Burleigh is expected to succeed Roemer as the interim US ambassador in

India. Burleigh (69) is no stranger to India, having temporarily served as charge

d'affaires at the US embassy in New Delhi from April to July 2009, after David Mulford

completed his tenure as ambassador here and before Roemer took up his current

position.

With eye on China, India to host trilateral talks with Japan, US this year; Japan does not fancy the Quadrilateral with Australia

New Delhi
29 June 2011

For Japan, three is not a crowd. Four maybe. While it agrees that a more robust Asian security architecture will be required if China's opaque military modernisation continues, for now it will be content with trilateral or three-way security dialogues involving India, Australia and the United States, without giving it the shape of a Quadrilateral or resurrecting notions of containing China. Currently, Japan has trilateral dialogues with the US and India; with the US and Australia; and with China and South Korea. India is the third country, after the US and Australia, with which Japan has the two-plus-two talks involving foreign and defence ministers. New Delhi is expected to host the inaugural India-US-Japan trilateral dialogue later this year. It will be conducted by officials, and not by foreign ministers as was mentioned in the April 8 press release issued by the ministry of external affairs after foreign secretary Nirupama Rao's talks in Tokyo. Besides discussing anti-piracy cooperation and maritime security, the talks could progressively extend to cover security and defence cooperation.

China's military rise has caused concerns in the region and beyond. Without naming China, Australian defence minister Stephen Smith recently said, "All we ask in terms of a growth of military capacity is that one is transparent as to its strategic intentions". That view is shared by Tokyo. "We keep asking the Chinese what is your intention [but] unfortunately we have not received a convincing explanation," Akitaka Saiki, Japan's new ambassador to India, said Wednesday in an interaction at the Observer Research Foundation here. "While Japan has no intention to undermine good neighbourly relations with China, I hope China will be a little more sensitive to concerns expressed by its neighbours. Actions need to match words, that's my view," he observed. Mr Saiki cautioned that the future trajectory of trilateral talks would depend on Beijing's attitude.

The current Japanese sentiment stands in contrast to the churning in Australia, which has instituted a Defence Force Posture Review for addressing issues such as "the growth of military power projection capabilities of countries in the Asia Pacific" -- an indirect reference to China's reach and influence. In a recent interaction with this newspaper, Michael Auslin from the US-based American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, said that Australia, not post-tsunami Japan, could be the lead partner in the Quadrilateral. Dr John Lee from the Sydney-based Centre for Independent Studies, in turn, cited the increasing possibility of Australia lifting the ban on uranium sale to India to suggest that the perception of Australia drifting towards China was not true.

The Quadrilateral was an initiative of Shinzo Abe, who was the Japanese premier from September 2006 to September 2007. On September 4, 2007, the navies of India, Japan, the US, Australia and Singapore conducted joint naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal. However, later that year, Australia's then newly elected prime minister and current foreign minister Kevin Rudd unilaterally withdrew from the Quadrilateral Initiative. The strategic pact has remained stillborn ever since. It suffered another setback after Abe's Liberal Democratic Party lost power to the Democratic Party in 2009. India did not show any particular interest, either. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in Beijing in January 2008 that India was "not part of any so-called 'contain China' effort".

New Zealand to deepen defence relations with India; indicates support for India's quest for membership of NSG, other export control regimes

New Delhi

28 June 2011

New Zealand will appoint a defence adviser to India to better facilitate defence

linkages, said a joint statement issued towards the end of the talks here Tuesday

between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart, John Key.

On the occasion both sides signed a protocol for cooperation on science and innovation

and an agreement on audio-visual co-production. The science and innovation protocol for

Cooperation was expected to provide a framework for future scientific exchanges and

research collaboration.

In a statement, Prime Minister Singh said India and New Zealand had agreed on a new

education cooperation initiative which would be jointly funded for promoting partnerships

in higher education and research, and skills and vocational education.

The joint statement said the two prime ministers agreed that regional and global

cooperation should continue to ensure maritime security as both sides recognised the

need for ensuring the safety and security of sea lanes.

New Zealand welcomed increased engagement between India and the multilateral export

control regimes. India is keen on becoming a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group

(NSG), Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group, and the Missile Technology Control

Regime (MTCR). New Zealand is a member of the NSG Troika, currently comprising the

Netherlands, New Zealand and Hungary.

Further, the joint statement said that the two leaders discussed global security

challenges and agreed on the importance of collaborating in the international and

regional contexts.

Prime Minister Singh said he and Mr Key reviewed the status of the negotiations on a

bilateral free trade agreement.

Ranjan Mathai is new foreign secretary of India

New Delhi

27 June 2011

Ranjan Mathai, India's ambassador to France, will be the next foreign secretary. The 59-year-old diplomat will assume charge on August 1, the day after the incumbent, Ms Nirupama Rao, superannuates.

A 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Mr Mathai will serve as the top diplomat for two years, until July 31, 2013.

Since 1998, Mr Mathai has served abroad, successively in Tel Aviv, Doha, London and Paris. Prior to serving as ambassador to France (since January 2007), Mr Mathai was India's deputy high commissioner in London (August 2005 to January 2007), ambassador to Qatar (August 2001 to July 2005), ambassador to Israel (February 1998 to June 2001).

Mr Mathai is the first foreign secretary since the UPA came to power in 2004, who has not served as an envoy in India's neighbourhood. However, between January 1995 and February 1998 he was a joint secretary in the ministry of external affairs looking after the division responsible for India's relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Burma.

A Malayali by origin, Mr Mathai is a post-graduate in political science from the University of Poona.

Although a formal announcement is awaited, Ms Nirupama Rao will succeed Meera Shankar as the Indian ambassador to the United States. Ms Rao (60) was to retire in December last year but she was given an extension till July 31 this year. During her term, the government amended its rules to stipulate that a foreign secretary would henceforth serve for a fixed period of two years.

Sujatha Singh, India's high commissioner to Australia, is likely to succeed Mr Mathai as the new Indian ambassador to France.

NSG tightens rules, but US reassures India

New Delhi

24 June 2011

Access to sensitive nuclear technologies used for the enrichment of uranium or the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel just got tougher, with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) approving new guidelines to limit their transfers only to the countries complying with their non-proliferation obligations and that meet agreed standards for nuclear safeguards, safety and security.

On the face of it, the three non-NPT signatories of India, Pakistan and Israel could be affected by the amendments, but, equally, other countries of concern could be the targets, too. However, the US department of state has clarified that the new restrictions should not be construed as detracting from the "unique impact and importance" of the US-India nuclear deal or diluting the US' commitment to full civil nuclear cooperation with India.

Simply put, the new guidelines would not impinge or adversely affect the "clean" NSG exception given to India in September 2008 or restrict India's access to enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies. Also, India remains on course for becoming the 47th member of the nuclear cartel, which was formed in 1974 in response to the nuclear test by India earlier that year.

A US state department press release said, "The NSG's NPT references, including those in the ENR guidelines, in no way detract from the exception granted to India by NSG members in 2008 and in no way reflect upon India's non-proliferation record." It also noted that "efforts in the NSG to strengthen controls on the transfers of ENR are consistent with long-standing US policy that pre-dates the civil nuclear agreement [with India] and have been reaffirmed on an annual basis by the G-8 for years."

Further, it iterated the US' support for India's membership of the NSG and three other export control regimes -- the Australia Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Missile Technology Control Regime -- in a phased manner. The US was understood to have circulated a note on India's membership of the NSG, proposing in it that signing on to the NPT need not be a mandatory criterion. India recognises that becoming an NSG member will take time because the group operates by consensus, and all members, China included, need to unanimously make a decision.

On the eve of the NSG's meeting, India had voiced deep reservations about a move by the cartel to withhold the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology to the non-NPT signatories. It had contended that doing so would dilute the import or the message of the exemption granted to India in 2008. Recently, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had discussed this, and other matters, with Ellen Tauscher, the US under secretary of state for arms control and international security affairs, in Vienna. Ms Rao had also impressed upon her American interlocutor that India's membership of the four export control regimes should be a package deal.

Protocol least of India's worries, open to hosting young Pak FM for talks with Krishna

New Delhi

19 June 2011

India would not mind setting aside protocol to host Hina Rabbani Khar, the 34-

year-old minister of state for foreign affairs of Pakistan, for talks with external affairs

minister SM Krishna (79) in July.

Ms Khar assumed the position on February 1 this year and she has been heading the

foreign ministry from February 13 onwards, two days after Shah Mehmood Qureshi was

dropped as Pakistan's foreign minister.

A government source recalled that India had deputed Khurshed Alam Khan, a minister of

state of external affairs, to travel to Islamabad in 1986 for talks with Sahabzada Yaqub

Khan, the then foreign minister of Pakistan.

However, if certain Pakistani media reports are anything to go by, Ms Khar could be

elevated to Cabinet rank in the coming weeks. In contrast, ironically, is the speculation in

a section of the Indian media about whether Mr Krishna would retain the portfolio after

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reshuffles his Cabinet soon.

Meanwhile, New Delhi has iterated that it will be seeking a satisfactory closure of the

November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai when foreign secretary Nirupama Rao

travels to Islamabad for talks with her Pakistani counterpart on June 23 and 24.

It described the foreign secretaries' talks as a process, not an event in itself, and as a

means to reduce the trust deficit ahead of an eventual resolution of the outstanding

issues dogging the two nations.

The cabinet committee on security met on Thursday to approve the scope and agenda of

Ms Rao's meeting in Islamabad. Similarly, the Pakistani government is expected to firm

up its agenda for the talks on Monday.

The foreign secretaries will discuss, among other issues, peace and security, including

confidence building measures; Jammu and Kashmir; and promotion of friendly

exchanges.

New Delhi has indicated that the talks would cover all issues of mutual concern and that

Ms Rao can be expected to raise issues, including, but not limited to, the continuing

threat posed by terrorism.

The Indian assertion came the day after the Pakistani foreign ministry's spokeswoman

said that terrorism would not be a part of the agenda because matters relating to

terrorism had already been discussed by the home secretaries.

// Box //

Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna

* 79 years old

* veteran politician

* went to Southern Methodist University and George Washington University Law School

in the US

* loves tennis

Hina Rabbani Khar

* 34 years old

* young politician

* went to the University of Massachusetts in the US

* loves trekking

NSG move to deny ENR worries India

New Delhi

19 June 2011

India has voiced deep reservations about a move by the Nuclear Suppliers

Group (NSG) to withhold the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology (or ENR)

to non-NPT signatories such as India. New Delhi has contended that doing so would

dilute the import or the message of the exemption granted to India in September 2008.

Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao was understood to have discussed this, and other

matters, with Ellen Tauscher, United States under secretary of state for arms control and

international security affairs in Vienna last week. Ms Rao also met Yukiya Amano, the

director-general of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

A government source said that India's quest for the membership of multilateral export

control organisations or regimes, such as the NSG, the Australia Group (to prevent the

spread of chemical and biological weapons), the Wassenaar Arrangement (for dual-use

goods and technologies), and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), figured in

those discussions.

India and the US do not agree on everything, the source pointed out, indicating that

certain issues required further negotiations. Simultaneously, India was reaching out to

the other NSG members, including the NSG Troika comprising New Zealand, Hungary

and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, New Delhi has urged the international community to jointly combat piracy in

the Indian Ocean region. At least 550 persons, including 39 Indian nationals, were still

being held hostage by Somali pirates. There have been 165 incidents, including 45

hijackings, this year.

It maintained that it could not provide security to every single sailor or pay ransom to

secure their release. "If we pay ransom for one, then all Indian soldiers will become

sitting ducks for pirates as they will know that government will pay," a source said.

Krishna seeks meeting with Suu Kyi, but prospects dim

New Delhi

19 June 2011

External affairs minister SM Krishna has sought a meeting with Burmese pro-

democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, but New Delhi would not confirm Sunday whether its

request has been accepted. Mr Krishna, accompanied by foreign secretary Nirupama

Rao and other officials, will visit Burma on June 20 and 21. The minister last visited

Burma in December 2009.

The uncertainty about a possible meeting with Ms Suu Kyi was attributed to the terms of

an agreement she was understood to have reached with the Burmese military regime

prior to her release from house arrest in November 2010, one of which was that she

would not meet foreign government leaders. If the Krishna-Suu Kyi meeting does take

place, it will be the first high-level contact with the Burmese opposition leader in over

two decades.

A government source said Mr Krishna could be expected to discuss issues such as

security, connectivity, and infrastructure projects in what will be the first visit to Burma

by an Indian minister after the military junta handed over power on March 30 this year to

a nominally civilian government. Specifically, the source said, New Delhi would be keen

to understand the new Burmese government's priorities and outlook.

Over the past few months foreign governments and organisations have reached out to

Burma by sending special envoys or other officials. A European Union delegation was

expected to visit Burma at around the same time as the Indian delegation. United States

Republican senator John McCain visited Burma in the first week of June, and United

Nations secretary general's special envoy Vijay Nambiar and US deputy assistant

secretary of state Joseph Yun were there in May.

President Thein Sein of Burma visited China in May, and it is likely that he would visit

New Delhi at the invitation of the Indian government. Than Shwe was the last Burmese

leader to visit India in July 2010.

Meanwhile, Ms Suu Kyi celebrated her birthday Sunday in freedom for the first time in

many years. In a video message that was screened at a function organised by Burmese

democracy activists in New Delhi Sunday evening, Ms Suu Kyi urged Indians to help

restore human rights and democracy in Burma.

India has not felt the need for a water pact with China: Govt

New Delhi

16 June 2011

India has not felt the need for a bilateral river waters sharing agreement with

China similar to the Indus waters treaty with Pakistan, a government source said,

implying that the present arrangement is adequate.

The response should be seen in the context of a sentiment voiced in quasi-official

circles that a formal pact with China would not only serve the interests of water security

by codifying the rights, responsibilities and obligations of the parties concerned, but

also allay the fears of the people living in India's north-eastern states if China

indiscriminately built hydro-electric projects on its side of the Brahmaputra.

Amplifying New Delhi's position, the source said that India and China have established

an expert-level mechanism to discuss water issues, which meets annually. It comprises

officials from the Indian ministries of water resources and external affairs, and their

Chinese counterparts. The fifth meeting of this mechanism concluded in Beijing in April

this year. Also, for the last nearly three years, the Chinese side has been sharing data of

three rivers, including Brahmaputra, twice a day with India, between June and September

of every year.

It was pointed out that the average annual flow at the point the Brahmaputra enters

Bangladesh is larger than at the point it enters the Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh,

which implied that there is ample scope for Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to "harness

and utilise the waters of the Brahmaputra", as the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said

in its June 14 statement. Water is a state subject in India.

The source went on to assert that the basis for New Delhi's assertion, that the dam being

built at Zangmu in Tibet is a run of the river hydro-electric project which does not store

water, and, therefore, will not adversely impact the downstream areas in India, is high-

calibre Indian satellite imagery. Incidentally, ascertaining facts from indigenous sources

indicates that India has graduated from a position of relying merely on Chinese

assurances to making determinations on its own.

Pressure grows on Australia to lift uranium sale ban on India, Labour government split

New Delhi

15 June 2011

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares to visit Australia in October this

year, an Australian foreign policy analyst and the deputy leader of the Opposition in the

Australian parliament, alike, have argued that the Labour Government's refusal to sell

uranium to India cannot be sustained for long.

In an interview to this newspaper in New Delhi, Dr John Lee of the Centre for

Independent Studies in Sydney said, "I don't think anyone doubts that Australia will

eventually sell uranium to India. I think it's a matter of working through the Australian

political process such that the focus is more on the benefits of selling uranium to India

as opposed to the strict interpretation of our commitments to the non-proliferation treaty."

Julie Bishop, deputy leader of the Opposition, has reasoned that "the hypocrisy of this

decision [not selling uranium to India] is even more glaring in the middle of a debate in

Australia about a carbon tax designed to reduce greenhouse emissions in this country,

while Labour is refusing to supply the fuel that India needs to reduce its emissions."

Ms Bishop, who recently visited India, is also the deputy leader of the Liberal party and

the shadow minister of foreign affairs. Her party had agreed in principle to allow uranium

exports to India when John Howard was prime minister, but Howard's successor, Kevin

Rudd, overturned the decision after the Labour party came to power in 2007.

In a signed piece published by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Wednesday,

Ms Bishop wrote, "Labour's ideological games to satisfy domestic interest groups

should not be allowed to impact on our relationship with this valuable and strategic

partner."

"It is difficult for Australia to build closer relations with this important democracy to our

north-west when this ban clearly implies that Labour is of the view that India cannot be

trusted with Australian uranium, despite its strong record of non-proliferation," Ms

Bishop noted.

The current Labour government headed by Prime Minister Julia Gillard has continued her

party's policy of not selling uranium to a non-NPT signatory such as India. However, as

Dr Lee pointed out, India can draw hope from the fact that the Labour party is "genuinely

split" on the issue.

"There are strong advocates of selling uranium to India who are in Cabinet positions.

The advocates of not selling uranium to India are in more minor positions but they hold

significant influence within the party itself," Dr Lee said, adding that when India's rise

will begin to excite the Australian population, it will offer "more political incentives" for

the Labour party to actually sell uranium to India.

Krishna clarifies position on China dam on Brahmaputra river

New Delhi

14 June 2011

Putting to rest speculation about China diverting the Brahmaputra waters away

from India, minister of external affairs SM Krishna has said that the dam at Zangmu in

the middle reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (as the Brahmaputra is called in Tibet) is a

run of the river hydro-electric project, which does not store water and will not adversely

impact the downstream areas in India.

"We have ascertained [this] from our own sources," Mr Krishna said in response to

media queries.

The minister explained that the media reports about Chinese plans to construct a dam on

the Brahmaputra and possibly divert the river waters to northern China were not new but

based on previously known facts. "Therefore," he asserted, "I believe there is no cause

for immediate alarm."

He drew the attention of all concerned to the fact that a large proportion of the catchment

of the Brahmaputra was within Indian territory, before going on to suggest that "it is

important that the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam of India harness and utilise

the waters of the Brahmaputra. This is the really important issue."

Mr Krishna's remarks are consistent with New Delhi's position that there was no reason

to disbelieve China when it says that the run-of-the-river projects it is building on its side

of the Brahmaputra river would not lead to any large-scale diversion of the river waters

away from India.

"There is nothing to indicate to that effect [and] there is no reason to believe otherwise,"

a government source had said on Monday after a section of the media reported about the

dam and the possibility of diversion of the river waters.

A part of the problem is that there was no pact between India and China on the sharing of

river waters, unlike the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 which governs the sharing of six

common river waters by India and Pakistan.

Mr Krishna left for Kazakhstan Tuesday to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation

Organisation (SCO) summit.

Peter Burleigh to return as interim US envoy to India

New Delhi

13 June 2011

Albert Peter Burleigh is expected to succeed Tim Roemer as the interim

ambassador of the United States to India.

Burleigh (69) is no stranger to India, having temporarily served as charge d'affaires at

the US embassy in New Delhi from April to July 2009, after David Mulford completed his

tenure as ambassador here and before Tim Roemer took up his current position.

Roemer resigned on April 28, citing personal, professional and family considerations. He

is expected to leave India by the end of June.

Although the US embassy did not offer a comment, Burleigh is expected to arrive in New

Delhi in the last week of this month and assume temporary charge till the US

Government has nominated him or another individual as the US ambassador to India in

succession to Roemer and the US Senate has confirmed the nomination.

Burleigh served as the US deputy representative to the United Nations from August 1997

to December 1999. Immediately prior to that, he served as the US ambassador to Sri

Lanka and Maldives between 1995 and 1997.

Born on 7 March 1942, Burleigh joined the US foreign service in 1967, after spending a

year as a Fulbright scholar in Nepal. He served in the Peace Corps in Nepal between

1963 and 1965, doing community development work in that country.

In his long career Burleigh served in the US embassies in Nepal and India, too.

Burleigh is a consultant for the National Intelligence Council (NIC) in Washington. Since

2006, he has been a consultant to the Carter Centre in Atlanta. In March 2007 he became

a director of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust. He is fluent in Bengali, Hindi,

Nepali, and Sinhalese.

After the 2006 vote against Iran, India abstains on Syria, but questions remain

New Delhi

10 June 2011

India abstained in Thursday's rpt Thursday's vote in the International Atomic

Energy Agency (IAEA), which decided to report Syria to the United Nations security

council (UNSC) over its alleged covert nuclear programme.

The 35-member board of governors of the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog decided by

a 17-to-six vote, with 11 abstentions, to refer Syria to the UNSC for building an

undeclared nuclear reactor at a site in Dair Alzour (which was unilaterally destroyed by

Israel in 2007), for not allowing the IAEA to carry out investigations, and for not adhering

to its safeguards agreements.

The last time the IAEA reported a member-state to the UNSC was Iran in February 2006.

India's votes against Iran had been widely criticised at home, but Thursday's abstention

did not go unchallenged either.

A section of the official circles described India's decision to abstain, and to not cast a 'no

vote' along with Russia and the others, as being dictated by a desire to keep the US and

Israel in good humour. It felt that the IAEA vote was meant to bully President Bashar al-

Assad of Syria into submission and to set in motion a process to effect a regime change

(similar to Libya) in order to disrupt the Syria-Iran axis.

However, New Delhi defended itself by maintaining that states were required to comply

with safeguards obligations and it has consistently been against clandestine

proliferation. At the same time, it pointed out, scope for dialogue should be fully utilised.

The IAEA's referral of Syria to the UNSC should be seen in the context of the attempts by

the West to push for a UNSC resolution condemning Syria's crackdown on protesters.

With Russia indicating that it might veto any such UNSC resolution against Syria, New

Delhi was of the opinion that putting it to vote in the 15-member UNSC, of which India is a

non-permanent member, would be pointless.

In Thursday's vote, 17 countries voted for reporting Syria to the UNSC. They were: the

US, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Germany, Italy, Japan, South

Korea, Australia, Belgium, Cameron, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, and the UAE.

Six countries voted against the motion: China, Russia, Pakistan, Ecuador, Venezuela

and Azerbaijan. India and 10 other countries abstained, which included Argentina, Brazil,

Chile, South Africa, Peru, Jordan, Kenya, Niger, Tunisia, and Ukraine. Mongolia was

absent from the vote.

Iran spoils maiden flight of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's new plane

New Delhi

31 May 2011

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to India made headlines even before

her aircraft landed in New Delhi Tuesday morning. Iran first refused permission to the

Airbus A-340 "Konrad Adenauer", Germany's equivalent of the US' Air Force One, for

flying over its airspace but later relented, delaying her arrival in New Delhi by two hours.

She more than made up for the avoidable distraction by immediately plunging headlong

into the talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in which she reaffirmed Germany's

10-year-old strategic partnership with India; inked four pacts to expand bilateral

cooperation in areas such as vocational education and training, science and technology,

and research; and exchanged views on a wide swath of issues such as trade, counter-

terrorism, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and reform of the United Nations security council

(UNSC), which Germany and India are spearheading along with Brazil and Japan.

While Prime Minister Singh was "in agreement" with Ms Merkel on the need for UNSC

reforms and he shared similar views about regional peace and security, some

divergences were discernible in their positions on issues such as the way forward in

Libya, whether a non-European should head the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and

nuclear energy.

Ms Merkel, whose government announced plans Monday to shut down all nuclear power

plants in Germany by 2022, wants the focus to shift to renewable sources of energy in

the wake of Japan's Fukushima disaster. For his part, Prime Minister Singh insisted that

making use of nuclear energy, together with maximum possible emphasis on

renewables, was a combination India needed if it was to meet its emission targets.

However, the differences did not dissuade Ms Merkel from offering to partner with India

in nuclear safety and green energy. Defence and security dialogue was progressing

satisfactorily, too. Indian counter-terrorism officials were expected to meet with their

German counterparts in September to discuss operational matters, including, but not

limited to, equipment and technologies. Also, external affairs minister SM Krishna would

participate in the Bonn conference on Afghanistan in December.

From Germany's perspective, the contract for the sale of multi-role aircraft to the Indian

air force will be of considerable significance given that the Eurofighter Typhoon is one of

two aircraft on New Delhi's shortlist. Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime

Minister Singh, Ms Merkel said, "With the Eurofighter we have made good proposals and

want to intensify our relationship with India. The Eurofighter is the best product on offer".

Incidentally, the diplomatic standoff between Iran and Germany over denial of

permission to the "Konrad Adenauer", named after post-war Germany's first chancellor,

coincided with the visit here by an Iranian delegation for resolving the issue of oil

payments. India is seeking an alternative mechanism for making payments for the

imports of crude oil from Iran after Germany discontinued the practice of routing the

payments through the Hamburg-based Europaisch-Iranische Handelsbank AG (or EIH

Bank.)

Iran's relations with Germany, which along with the five permanent UNSC members (the

US, the UK, France, China and Russia) had held negotiations over Iran's nuclear

programme, has deteriorated of late. Recently the European Union and the United States

imposed further sanctions on Iran.

The Iranian ambassador in Berlin was called to the German foreign ministry to explain

the snub. Iran is since understood to have blamed "technical-organisational events",

according to a media report, for the lapse due to which Ms Merkel's aircraft was forced to

circle over Turkey for a couple of hours.

Ms Merkel is the second European head of government to have visited India on a

refurbished aircraft. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France had used a new official Airbus

plane, dubbed Air Sarko One, for his December 2010 visit here, although unlike Ms

Merkel, he had already flown on it on its maiden flight to South Korea for the G-8 summit

in November.

India, US agree to disagree on China; Af-Pak, terror expose limits of India-US ties

New Delhi

22 May 2011

A "national consensus across the board" was required on whether China is "a

threat or is [it] a neighbour that we can go along with", former national security adviser

MK Narayanan had posed three years ago, delivering the 25th Air Chief Marshal PC Lal

Memorial Lecture here.

Much water has flown down the Brahmaputra since then, but China has remained

reluctant to resolve the boundary question. There is no explicit agreement on the issue

of stapled visa, either. China's foray into Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) has further

roiled the Sino-Indian discourse, all of which forced New Delhi to tweak the Dragon's tail,

first by feting Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo in Norway, and then by omitting any reference

to one-China from the joint statement issued towards the end of Premier Wen Jiabao's

visit here in December 2010.

Today, just when New Delhi was coming around to the view that its relationship with

Beijing was indeed "adversarial" in many respects, and, therefore, it required to be

handled with prudence and firmness, comes sobering news from an American official

and an academic that only reinforces what Admiral Robert Willard, head of the US Pacific

Command, had said during his visit here in September 2010.

The Admiral had told journalists that the US shared India's concerns about China's

assertiveness and its presence in PoK, but while "any change in military relations or

military manoeuvres by China that raises concerns of India" could certainly be

considered as occurring within his area of responsibility, India will have to tackle its

issues on its own.

Michael Auslin from the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, told this

correspondent in New Delhi that the issues of stapled visa and Jammu and Kashmir

were problems between India on the one hand and China and Pakistan on the other,

unlike the South China Sea, which was a global common. Auslin noted that the contours

of US-China ties had of late changed from "engage, then hedge" to "hedge, then engage."

A further indication of where Washington stood on India's core issues was provided by

an American official who insisted that the US-China relations was neither an either/or

case nor a friend-or-foe choice. This official said it was "only natural" that as China rises,

it becomes assertive; that "confrontation is not inevitable", and both the US and China

had much to gain from cooperation than conflict.

By India's own confession, the challenge of fashioning a coherent China policy is made

difficult by the cold reality, brought home after Osama bin Laden's killing, that India was

alone in its fight against terrorism. That Washington could not be expected to fight New

Delhi's battles, and Pakistan's strategic value to the US will likely remain.

Save for former US national security adviser Gen James Jones (Retd)'s remark about

how lucky the US was to have Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who took "personal risk

along the Pakistani-Indian border to make sure that there's no provocation", there has

been no recompense for India or the 26/11 victims.

The dissonance between India and the US also extends to Afghanistan and Iran. India's

abstention on Libya vote, and rejection of US aircraft from a multi-billion dollar tender,

have accentuated the divergences.

Lanka welcomes India's tacit support

New Delhi

17 May 2011

India omitted any reference to a contentious United Nations (UN)-mandated

experts' panel in the joint press statement issued towards the end of Sri Lankan foreign

minister GL Peiris' visit to New Delhi, which should be seen as in keeping with its policy

lately of treating Colombo with kid gloves.

The statement merely cited external affairs minister SM Krishna as saying, cryptically,

about investigations into allegations of human rights violations, but in response to a

mention by Mr Peiris of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Sri

Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa had appointed the commission to look into the last

months of the civil war.

The advisory report of UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's three-member panel of

experts on accountability with respect to final stages of the Lankan conflict has accused

Colombo of war crimes. The report was submitted to Mr Ban on April 12, and it was made

public on April 25 in New York.

Since the report was released, New Delhi has maintained that the issues raised in it

needed to be studied carefully. However, Mr Peiris removed any doubt about where India

stood on the issue when he said in a media interaction that New Delhi had shown

"empathy" and "understanding", and there existed a "reservoir of goodwill" toward

Colombo.

"There is no single path to the summit of mountain," Mr Peiris further sought to tell a

section of the international community, alluding to Colombo's stand that the LLRC

enjoyed the "blessings of the world", and it should not be dismissed, at least not before

it had concluded its work, in favour of the UN's advisory report.

Mr Peiris' visit came ahead of the second anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka's civil war

on 19 May 2009.

He said that the Lankan government had completed six rounds of talks with

representatives of Tamil parties on the issue of a devolution package. "It is an ongoing

dialogue," he noted.

Mr Peiris called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab

Mukherjee. He will travel to China and Indonesia next week.

India is in for the long haul, will not dilute its commitment to Afghanistan, PM to tell Karzai today

New Delhi

11 May 2011

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will travel to Kabul Thursday in what will be

his first visit to Afghanistan since August 2005. His visit can be expected to deliver "a lot

of tangibles", a government source said, without elaborating.

He will likely tell President Hamid Karzai that India's assistance to Afghanistan's

reconstruction and development was not contingent on presence and absence of foreign

troops, and that India was in it for the long haul.

The source indicated that India can be expected to stay the course in Afghanistan in the

post-Osama bin Laden era, and continue its reconstruction and development

programmes in a "low key", "sotto voce" manner.

India would be willing to help the government and people of Afghanistan in every which

way possible, in areas ranging from infrastructure, capacity building and skill

development to mining and agriculture.

New Delhi believed it was too early to conclude how Osama's killing would affect the

course of events in the Af-Pak region because terrorist groups such as the Taliban and

the Haqqani network remained "as strong and virulent as ever."

India would be keen to encourage private sector investments and facilitate the

participation of its companies. For instance, about 15 firms have expressed interest in

the development of the Hajigak iron ore mine.

India would also be willing to step up its training efforts in areas such as policing,

information technology, and mining. Kabul was exploring the possibility of sending

Afghans to the Indian School of Mines at Dhanbad in Jharkhand.

Mr Singh said in a statement on the eve of his departure that he would hold wide-ranging

discussions with President Hamid Karzai on ways to advance the bilateral ties and also

exchange views on regional developments and the common fight against terrorism.

"We cannot remain unaffected by developments in Afghanistan. We take a long-term

view of our partnership with Afghanistan," he said, noting that "if our region has to

prosper and move ahead, Afghanistan must succeed in rebuilding itself."

"India's commitment to assisting the people of Afghanistan is enduring and has

weathered many storms," Mr Singh said. India's development assistance commitment to

Afghanistan is over Rs 4,000 crore, making it the sixth largest donor.

The government source clarified that India was "not propagating an exclusivist

approach" or "not making demands" of Afghanistan insofar as its ties with China and

Pakistan were concerned.

India respected the "sovereignty" of decision making of Afghanistan, and would welcome

contributions by countries in the region, such as China and Pakistan, to the development

of Afghanistan, the source added.

India tells US: War on terror cannot end with Osama's killing

New Delhi

4 May 2011

India has reminded the US, flush from its success in liquidating Osama bin

Laden, that the war on terror cannot end without the elimination of terrorist safe havens

inside Pakistan.

India was categorical that Osama's death was "not an end of what remains an ongoing

war" against terrorism. More so because Al Qaeda's affiliates such as the Lashkar-e-

Tayyiba (LeT) remain formidable and continue to espouse violent ideology.

At the same time, Osama's killing had brought home the cold reality that India was

"alone" in its fight against terrorism: That Washington could not be expected to fight

Delhi's battles, and that Pakistan's strategic value to the US will likely remain.

Another reality was that while Osama's killing would have brought closure for the 9/11

victims in the US, there could not be any for the 26/11 victims till the terrorist camps in

Pakistan or Pakistani-held territory were dismantled.

An official source explained away the difficulties by saying that there will always come

moments in the US' relations with Pakistan when certain decisions that will be taken will

not be palatable to India.

However, the source was quick to point out that there were reasons for India to be

"satisfied" with how its ties with the US had "matured" over the years, and that both

sides were collaborating on issues of mutual interest or concern.

For instance, New Delhi would be looking to Washington for its views about whether and

how "Operation Geronimo" would affect the balance of power between civilian

government and the military in Pakistan.

New Delhi was assessing the impact of Osama's killing on the role of the "larger than

life" institutions in Pakistan such as the army and the ISI as it could have a bearing on

Pakistan's disposition towards India, and tied to it would be the fate of Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh's Pakistan initiative and the resumed peace process.

Another issue that will engage the attention of India going forward is Afghanistan, as the

US prepares to draw down its forces there. New Delhi was against allowing Islamabad a

veto over India's role in Afghanistan.

These, and other issues, were expected to come up in the second round of the India-US

strategic dialogue, to be held in July, when US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will

arrive here for talks with external affairs minister SM Krishna.

It is not a question of can or should, India does not want to emulate 'Operation Geronimo'

New Delhi

4 May 2011

India has sought to put a lid on the debate about whether it can or should copy

American-style surgical strikes or Israeli targeted assassinations to eliminate targets

inside Pakistan by saying that it is an idea whose time may never come.

An official source says India would not want to emulate the US or Israel because one,

India is not US, and two, India's relations with Pakistan are historically and qualitatively

different from Washington's ties with Islamabad.

The source pointed out that India is conscious of the fact that while Pakistan may be a

"foreign" country in the strict sense of the word, it was a "part of us", and it behoves

India to take a sober and reasoned view of the relationship.

"It is easy to be hawkish on Pakistan but the story won't end [with the] capture of one or

two [individuals]," the source said, before going on to emphasise that dismantling of the

infrastructure of terrorism will require a change in Pakistan's mindset.

Further, the source noted, "[The] idea is not to bring Pakistan to its knees[.] It is not an

exercise [in] retribution, [to] humiliate [Pakistan.]"

The remarks come at a time when some Indians, analysts and retired military officers

included, are wondering why their country must not emulate the Americans and liquidate

some of the most wanted fugitives from Indian law.

The chiefs of the Indian army and air force, too, have commented saying that the Indian

armed forces were competent to carry out an Abbottabad-like operation, and that India

was capable of taking out the 26/11 perpetrators inside Pakistan.

The source said that it was "logical to deduce" that many of the terrorists wanted in India

for acts of terrorism were inside Pakistan, and acknowledged the "frustration" of many

Indians at not seeing them brought to justice.

While India has "drawn a blank" insofar as the terrorists hiding in Pakistan were

concerned, it has had some success in getting 16 or 17 persons deported from Dubai, it

was pointed out.

India will continue peace talks with Pakistan

New Delhi

4 May 2011

India has let it be known that the peace talks with Pakistan will continue as usual,

and that the India-Pakistan narrative should be seen divorced from the killing of Osama

bin Laden.

"[Osama's killing] does not change the universe of discourse" between India and

Pakistan, an official source said, adding that the forthcoming official-level talks could be

expected to proceed as per plan.

This newspaper had reported Tuesday that Prime Minister Singh was indeed likely to

stay the course in spite of pressure on him to reappraise his Pakistan initiative. In doing

so he would be guided by the desire not to fritter away the gains made in official and

unofficial (track-two) talks with Islamabad in recent years.

The source defended the government's position by saying that India had to engage

Pakistan in order to make any progress on issues such as trade, people-to-people

contacts, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Adopting a multi-pronged approach, India would look to strengthen the hands of

democratic forces and civil society in Pakistan even as it makes efforts at multilateral

levels to address the issue of terrorism directed against India.

Those efforts would involve proscribing, or naming and shaming, the terrorist groups by

the United Nations security council's "1267 committee", and expediting the process of

adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

On Pakistan foreign secretary Salman Bashir's comment that India's demand for action

against the 26/11 terrorists was "outdated", the source said "that cannot be a serious

statement."

Speaking in Islamabad, Bashir had said Tuesday, "It is a familiar line (and) outdated. It

is some part of the old system repeating itself[.] This line of thinking is mired in a

mindset that is neither realistic nor productive. Such statements are not very helpful [to

the peace process]."

India's Af-Pak policy comes under strain

New Delhi

3 May 2011

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's disengagement-is-not-an-option line came

under increased strain Tuesday following Pakistan's unhelpful attitude on the issue of

bringing the 26/11 perpetrators to justice.

Salman Bashir, Pakistan's foreign secretary, dismissed New Delhi's demand for action

against the 26/11 terrorists, reiterated most recently by home minister P Chidambaram

on Monday, as "outdated".

"It is a familiar line (and) outdated. It is some part of the old system repeating itself[.]

This line of thinking is mired in a mindset that is neither realistic nor productive. Such

statements are not very helpful [to the peace process]," Bashir said.

However, indications are that Prime Minister Singh was likely to stay the course in spite

of pressure on him to reappraise his Pakistan initiative and to craft an appropriate

Afghanistan strategy in the post-Osama bin Laden era.

There was a view in official circles that India must persist with the dialogue, if it does not

want to fritter away the gains made in official and unofficial (track-two) talks with

Islamabad, and if it wants the 'Mohali spirit' to survive.

The prime ministers of India and Pakistan would get at least two opportunities to re-

engage each other, on the margins of the Saarc summit in Maldives in November this

year, and on the sidelines of the July 2012 NAM summit in Iran.

A section of the official circles said that it became even imperative that New Delhi

brought diplomatic pressure to bear upon Islamabad, given its inability or reluctance to

mount covert operations inside Pakistan.

Also, it was pointed out that Prime Minister Singh need only take a cue from his British

counterpart, David Cameron, who said that the world must remain engaged with Pakistan

if only to strengthen the hands of the civilian government there.

Cameron had accused Pakistan of looking "both ways" on terrorism in July 2010, and his

words were only now finding a resonance in Washington and other world capitals

following Pakistan's alleged complicity in harbouring Osama bin Laden.

India welcomes Osama death, hopes for 26/11 closure from Pakistan

New Delhi

2 May 2011

India was hoping for 26/11 closure from Pakistan, just as the killing of Osama bin

Laden had brought to a close the US' almost decade-long search for the head of the Al

Qaeda who masterminded the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre towers in New

York.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged Pakistan to work comprehensively to end the

activities of all terrorist groups operating on its soil while his Cabinet colleague and

home minister P Chidambaram went a step further to reiterate India's demand that

Pakistan arrest certain individuals and share voice samples of persons suspected of

involvement in the Mumbai attacks.

The Centre has asked all states to tighten security particularly in places wherever there

is an American or a Jewish installation. In its advisory, the home ministry asked

authorities in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata to beef up security around the

US consulates there and foil any attempt by anyone to disturb peace there.

The Prime Minister said in a statement, "I welcome it as a significant step forward and

hope that it will deal a decisive blow to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. The

international community and Pakistan in particular must work comprehensively to end

the activities of all such groups who threaten civilised behaviour and kill innocent men,

women and children."

Home minister P Chidambaram, in turn, said the killing of Osama "deep inside Pakistan"

was a matter of grave concern as it underlines India's apprehension that terrorists

belonging to different organisations find sanctuary in that country.

He noted in his statement that the perpetrators of the 26 November 2008 terrorist attacks

in Mumbai, including the controllers and handlers of the terrorists, continue to be

sheltered in Pakistan.

"We once again call upon the Government of Pakistan to arrest the persons whose

names have been handed over to the Interior Minister of Pakistan as well as provide

voice samples of certain persons who are suspected to be among the controllers and

handlers of the terrorists," Mr Chidambaram said.

For his part, external affairs minister SM Krishna described Osama's death as "a historic

development and victorious milestone in the global war against the forces of terrorism."

"Over the years, thousands of innocent lives of men, women and children have been

tragically lost at the hands of terrorist groups. The world must not let down its united

effort to overcome terrorism and eliminate the safe havens and sanctuaries that have

been provided to terrorists in our own neighbourhood. The struggle must continue

unabated," Mr Krishna said.

The BJP, the principal Opposition party, said Osama's killing inside Pakistani territory

confirmed that Pakistan remains the "epicentre of global terror". The party demanded of

the UPA Government that it must ensure that those responsible for the 26/11 terrorist

attacks in Mumbai were handed over to it.

"We demand that all the terrorists responsible for terror attacks from across the border

must be handed over to India. It is a litmus test for Pakistan. Government of India must

acknowledge this fact in all future talks with Pakistan," BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar

Prasad said.

"He (Osama) was killed in Pakistan, almost in the backyard of its capital, Islamabad.

This is the final confirmation of the hard fact that Pakistan remains the epicentre of

global terror where terrorism and terrorists both are allowed to be encouraged and given

shelter," Mr Prasad added.

Security was strengthened around the US Embassy and nearby areas in New Delhi's

diplomatic enclave. All states had been asked to step up security if any Chabad houses

were located there as these are hubs of Jewish travellers. The states were also asked to

keep strict vigil on tourist destinations frequented by foreigners.

The US has issued a worldwide travel alert for its citizens, especially those living in

Pakistan, soon after President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden has

been killed.

India cements ties with Sudan, reaches out to south Sudan

New Delhi

28 April 2011

India has sought to balance its traditionally strong ties with Sudan by reaching

out to South Sudan, which is set to become the world's newest nation on July 9.

Over 98 per cent of the people of southern Sudan had voted for secession from the north

in the January 9 referendum.

This week India hosted foreign minister Ali Ahmed Karti of Sudan and Ms Pricilla Joseph

Kuch, minister in the office of president of South Sudan.

An Indian delegation comprising officials from various ministries was expected to soon

travel to Khartoum and Juba, the capitals of Sudan and South Sudan, respectively, to

explore possible areas of cooperation.

New Delhi assured Sudan that it will continue to partner it in its development, particularly

capacity-building and infrastructure.

For his part, Mr Karti sought India's help in lifting of economic sanctions which the US

had imposed on it in 1997.

"[I] requested support from India to our Sudanese situation," Mr Karti said, after his

meetings with Vice President Hamid Ansari and external affairs minister SM Krishna.

He spoke about attracting Indian investments in the oil, agriculture, mining,

manufacturing, food processing and livestock sectors of Sudan's economy.

"Country is open for you [and] hands are open to embrace you in Sudan," Mr Karti added.

In a separate meeting with Mr Krishna, Ms Kuch was understood to have assured him

that South Sudan would honour the oil contracts and agreements pertaining to India.

India is undivided Sudan's third largest partner in the oil sector.

India, which was one of the first countries in 2007 to open a consulate in Juba, was

expected to upgrade it to an embassy.

Sudan borders nine countries and therefore investing in Sudan would mean a gateway to

more markets around it. Sudan was also a member of the Common Market for Eastern

and Southern Africa or Comesa.

Mr Karti also pointed out that foreign investments were facilitated under the direct

supervision of President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir. The president chairs the

supreme council of investment of Sudan, which has ministers and governors of

provinces as its members.

US envoy to India calls it a day; cites personal reasons, but resignation coincides with rejection of US aircraft in the MMRCA deal

New Delhi

28 April 2011

US ambassador to India Timothy John Roemer has resigned, citing personal,

professional and family considerations. He is expected to leave India in June, the US

embassy said in a press release.

"When I accepted this job two years ago, I told President Obama that I would serve for

two years but that family considerations would be front and centre after that," Roemer

said, and suggested that he would like his parents and in-laws to be able to spend more

time with his two sons who will be leaving for college in the next 14 months. He also

said that he had accomplished all of the strategic objectives set forth by US president

Barack Obama two years ago. But while he set forth the personal and family reasons, he

was not particularly forthcoming about the professional considerations that might have

aided his decision to resign.

There were murmurs that his announcement Thursday coincided with the publication of

reports in the Indian media that both American aircraft -- Boeing F/A 18IN and Lockheed-

Martin F-16IN -- were out of the running for the coveted multi-billion dollar contract for

sale of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to the Indian air force. However,

this newspaper was given to understand that his decision to resign predated the

rejection of the American aircraft. The envoy had informed the Indian government in

advance as per the practice. In fact, Roemer (54) had spoken about his decision to resign

in an interview to NDTV which was recorded on Tuesday but aired this morning.

Also, in a separate press release issued later in the day, Roemer clarified that the US

embassy was informed of the Ministry of Defence's decision only on Wednesday. While

remaining respectful of the Indian government's procurement process, Roemer,

however, said in it that the US was "deeply disappointed" by the news that Boeing and

Lockheed-Martin aircraft were out of the reckoning for the MMRCA deal.

Roemer's resignation came close on the heels of a proposed reshuffle of Obama's

national security team, which will see CIA director Leon Panetta replace Robert Gates as

defence secretary, and NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan

commander General David Petraeus succeed Panetta as CIA chief. Obama is also

planning to appoint Ryan Crocker, a former US envoy to Pakistan, as the US ambassador

to Afghanistan. In March, commerce secretary Gary Locke was named as the new US

envoy to China.

Come August, India too will have a new ambassador to the US. Foreign secretary

Nirupama Rao is tipped to succeed Meera Shankar in Washington.

Obama's visit to India in November 2010 and an exponential growth in the defence

partnership, marked by the sale of C130J aircraft and the pending sale of C-17 military

transport aircraft to India, were a few of the highlights of Roemer's tenure but it was also

hit by the WikiLeaks disclosures.

Obama nominated Roemer on May 27, 2009. Roemer had edged Karl Inderfurth and

Marshall Bouton out for the post. He was sworn in on July 23 after the US senate

confirmation, and he presented his credentials to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on

August 11, 2009.

Born October 30, 1956, Roemer was president of the Centre for National Policy in the US,

a think-tank, prior to his nomination as ambassador to India. Roemer is a keen blogger

and he had hoped to shake hands with as many of the one billion people in India as he

possibly could.

After Thimphu thaw, Maldives momentum to India - Pakistan peace talks ?

New Delhi

26 April 2011

Just as the Nawaz Sharif - IK Gujral meeting in Maldives on the margins of the

1997 Saarc summit paved the way for Atal Behari Vajpayee's Lahore visit in February

two years later, a meeting between prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Yousaf Raza

Gilani in Maldives on the occasion of the 17th Saarc summit in November may not only

serve to keep the Mohali spirit alive but also revive hopes of an early visit by Mr Singh

to Pakistan.

Coming as it would after the scheduled meetings between their foreign ministers and the

full complement of official-level talks, a Gilani - Manmohan encounter in Maldives would

cap the year's engagements since both sides agreed to in February to resume the

stalled peace talks. It would also provide an opportunity for a review of the bilateral

relations at the highest level.

The commerce secretaries of India and Pakistan will begin two-day talks in Islamabad

Wednesday. Over the coming weeks, the surveyors- general and the secretaries of water

resources and defence of the two countries will meet as per the time-table agreed to by

foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistan counterpart Salman Bashir at Thimphu

in February this year.

If the dialogues proceed without serious hiccups, Prime Minister Singh could be tempted

to visit Pakistan before or after his visit to Iran for participating in the 16th NAM (Non-

Aligned Movement) summit to be held at Isfahan in 2012. It may be recalled that Mr

Gilani had invited the Indian prime minister to visit Pakistan during their conversations

at Mohali.

Besides the much-anticipated Singh-Gilani encore in Maldives after their previous

encounters in Mohali and Thimphu, this year's Saarc summit would be unique in another

respect: It would be the first time the eight-nation regional grouping will hold a summit

south of the Equator.

Speaking in an interview to this newspaper, visiting foreign minister Ahmed Naseem of

Maldives says the southernmost atoll of Addu, which will host the summit, lies in the

southern hemisphere. It was Mr Naseem's first visit abroad after his appointment as

foreign minister in March.

Portugal eyes anti-piracy coordination between EU and Indian navies off Somalia coast

New Delhi

10 April 2011

Portugal, which will head European Union's anti-piracy mission codenamed

Operation Atalanta rpt Atalanta in the Gulf of Aden this week, shares India's views on the

need for a stronger international response under the United Nations banner to combat

the problem of piracy off the Horn of Africa.

Jorge Roza de Oliveira, Portugal's new ambassador to India, told this newspaper that

the "present arrangement does not go far enough" as the rules of engagement were

limited in scope, and, therefore, the "international community should do a bit more [in

the] UN context".

The envoy's remarks came on the eve of a UN security council (UNSC) vote on a

resolution spelling out measures for trial of pirates in Seychelles and their imprisonment

in prisons in the Somaliland and Puntland regions of Somalia.

Portugal and India are non-permanent members of the UNSC today. On or about April 14,

a Portuguese frigate named Vasco da Gama will assume command of the European

naval force (EU NAVFOR) in Djibouti, bordering Somalia. The EU NAVFOR operation

liaises with the navies of India and other countries operating in the region.

New Delhi hopes that the latest resolution to be voted on this week will make it

incumbent on the UN member-states to frame appropriate laws and to take responsibility

for securing the release of hostages captured by pirates from any ship registered in any

country.

According to Chitrapu Uday Bhaskar, the director of New Delhi-based National Maritime

Foundation and a retired Indian Navy commodore, tackling piracy is a complex issue

because the legal provisions are very tangled. "A reason is that today a merchant ship

may be owned by one entity, registered in another country, the crew will be drawn from

different nationalities, therefore, different kinds of legislation are applicable. Hence, [the]

ability to do something is limited," he explained.

On June 2, 2008, the UNSC unanimously passed the Resolution 1816 permitting the

nations cooperating with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government to send their

navies into Somalia's territorial waters to combat acts of piracy and armed robbery at

sea using all necessary means. For India, the issue of piracy acquired the equivalent of

a tipping point in October 2008 when the Indian Navy started anti-piracy operations in the

Gulf of Aden. In the same month, the INS Tabar sank a Somali pirate ship.