NEW DELHI, 4 May 2003 — Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee yesterday called for “careful planning” before any meeting with Islamabad, after a formal invitation from Pakistan to the Indian leader for talks amid a thaw in the chilly relations between the nuclear-armed archrivals.
The Indian prime minister also reiterated that “cross-border terrorism” in Kashmir must end before any sustained dialogue can begin. Vajpayee was responding to a letter written by Pakistan Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali inviting him to talks in Pakistan, a Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters.
“The prime minister emphasized the need for careful preparation on the ground so there could be meaningful engagement at the highest level,” spokesman Navtej Sarna said.
Government sources here said the reply “could neither be seen as a rejection nor an acceptance” of Jamali’s invitation.
Relations between the two countries began to thaw Friday with the announcement by Vajpayee that New Delhi would revive air links with Islamabad and return an ambassador to the Pakistani capital, 17 months after severing ties. Pakistan welcomed the move.
The United States welcomed the new relaxation in tensions that brought the two sides to the brink of war last year. US Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke with Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha to express the US support for the moves toward peace. “Mr. Powell welcomes the prime minister’s initiative,” a ministry spokesman said.
Other international allies expressing telephoned support for the thawing relations included British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, the spokesman said.
