Russian Ambassador to India tells 主播大秀 that, until Pakistan stops
"cross-border terrorism", Moscow can not resume constructive
co-operation with Islamabad
Alexander
M. Kadakin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India, spoke
to the 主播大秀 World Service's flagship news programme, The World
Today, ahead of the visit of the Russian President, Vladimir
Putin, to India.
Talking
to Political Editor of The Asian Age, Seema Mustafa, who co-presented
the programme, Ambassador Kadakin said Russia would consider co-operating
with Pakistan if Pakistan stopped "cross-border terrorism"
against India.
Excerpts
from the interview
Q:
Are you talking about further co-operation between Russia, China
and India?
A:
We are not talking about building any kind of axis or a block or
a kind of co-operation against somebody, no.
But
if the three countries coincide on certain problems of today, that
is, we are against domination of one power, we are for building
a multi-polar world, then we are together on the matters of international
terrorism, well then why not co-operate on those matters on which
we coincide, China, Russia and India.
Q:
Comments on Putin's remarks on Pakistan, which upset Islamabad.
A:
I should not repeat what my President said but I am in complete
agreement with him.
Unless
Pakistan stops cross-border terrorism and trans-border aggression
against India, only then could we think of opening our door wider
to a constructive cooperation with Pakistan.
Q:
Is there a change in Russia's position regarding Pakistan? Has it
become harder now?
A:
Well, I don't think its a harder position as regards Pakistan, we
have always been saying that when Pakistan stops its trans-border
acts of terrorism, when Pakistan liquidates the infrastructure of
terror all along its line of control and the international border,
only then, if we see that it is a solid fact, they have done it,
only then we shall be able to talk to them openly.
Q:
There are concerns in India about Russia's interest in India only
when India is moving away from America.
A:
I have always been saying that there is something wrong with the
mathematics of our American and other friends.
If
you remember, they were saying that there were 30-40-50 thousand
Talebans acting in Afghanistan. The official figure of those, liquidated
in Afghanistan, was 1,500.
I am
joking, saying that Russians are very generous people, we say that,
okay, 10,000 people were killed, so where are the rest, are they
building the democratic future of Afghanistan?
No,
they have gone to the Pakistan-India line of control and they have
resurrected, and they have re-activated those camps where they get
the training, and that is why you, India, you have more and more
acts of explosions, acts of sabotage, acts of pure terrorism.
If
we remember Mr Putin's previous visit to India, it was exactly one
year before the tragedy in New York happened, it was Mr Putin who,
in the Indian Parliament, just putting aside his speech, he said,
friends, we are warning you: there is a terrorist international
like we had the Communist International, like we had the Socialist
International, there is a terrorist international acting.
It
was he and Mr Vajpayee, who were warning the world that the danger
is very grave, and after one year it happened.
Notes
to Editors
The
World Today aims to provide listeners in South Asia with news and
analysis of what is happening in their region and across the globe
and is on air every weekday morning on short wave from 0030 to 0300
GMT (0600 to 0830 IST).
主播大秀
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