The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, November 7, 2001, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

To work jointly on disarmament
Hari Jaisingh

Moscow, November 6
India and the Russian Federation affirmed their commitment as strategic partners to actively cooperate in addressing issues of global and regional security, including threats posed by terrorism and extremism.

The two countries agreed to cooperate at the multilateral level on strategic issues for the development of a multi-polar world based on a new cooperative security order.

In a joint statement on strategic issues, the two countries noted that their long standing friendship, trust and confidence contributed to Eurasian stability were of global significance.

They expressed their support to preserving existing arms control and disarmament agreements including the ABM Treaty.

Underlining the imperatives for strengthening regional and international security, India and Russia will promote efforts aimed at complete disarmament by systematic and progressive efforts to reduce nuclear weapons globally with the ultimate goal of eliminating them.

India welcomed the readiness of Russia and the USA to further reduce their strategic offensive weapons. The two countries called upon other nuclear weapons states to join the process of nuclear reduction at an appropriate stage.

The Russian Federation welcomed India’s voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing and positively evaluated the Indian government’s efforts to develop a broad national consensus on CTBT.

On disarmament, the two sides sought early commencement of negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament for banning the future production of weapon-grade fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices.

“Both sides shall continue to consult on a regular basis on strategic issues,” the joint statement said.

India and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding for the Kundankulam nuclear power project in Tamil Nadu. This paves the way for the implementation of the project and setting up of and operation of two 1000 MW nuclear power plants in Kudankulam on the basis of the agreement signed 13 years ago.

India wants say on Afghanistan
Rajeev Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 6
Unhappy with the so-called “6+2” mechanism over Afghanistan, India wants the world community to have another formula in place which keeps New Delhi in close touch with all international policy decisions regarding the fate of Afghanistan.

India’s opposition to the 6+2 mechanism, well-placed sources said here today, was one of the high points on the agenda of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who is currently on a three-nation tour.

India has always felt diplomatically checkmated with the 6+2 mechanism because by virtue of this arrangement, New Delhi has been effectively denied any diplomatic say over Afghanistan affairs even though India’s ties with Afghanistan date back to centuries.

On this diplomatic chessboard that Afghanistan is, New Delhi has sought to play a deft counter-move. The latest proposal emanating from South Block is that the 6+2 mechanism should be consigned to the dustbin and instead a larger and newer mechanism should be adopted to discuss all international policy decisions regarding Afghanistan.

This larger and newer mechanism, New Delhi feels, should have G-15 countries, apart from India.

The so-called “6+2” mechanism was devised several years ago by Pakistan with two primary goals: to increase its diplomatic say in the international community over Afghanistan matters, and to keep India out of the Afghanistan diplomatic gambit.

According to this mechanism, eight countries have been identified for making all important decisions on Afghanistan. Of these eight countries, six are Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan and China. Two other countries which do not share land borders with Afghanistan but are considered important for taking policy decisions regarding this country are Russia and the USA.

It is a known fact that Pakistan has taken a headlong plunge into the Afghanistan cauldron for gaining “strategic depth” against India and for economic benefits by getting drawn into the great game for the quest of vast oil and gas reserves the Central Asian region has.