INDO-PAK RELATIONS FOREIGN POLICY
Government Statements on Supply of Arms to Pakistan New Delhi, 13 November, 1995
US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Ms. Robin Raphel, visited India from November 4-14, 1995.
Secretary (West) reiterated the clear and firm position of the Government of India against the proposal to supply sophisticated military equipment to Pakistan through the mechanism of the Brown amendment, and apprised her of the strong adverse reaction that this has caused in Indian political circles and the public.
Assistant Secretary Raphel urged that India and Pakistan should engage in a dialogue to discuss outstanding bilateral issues. Secretary (West) informed Ms. Raphel that India was willing to hold direct bilateral talks on all Indo-Pak issues, without any preconditions. We have not seen any evidence of Pakistani willingness to engage in such talks. Instead, it was engaged in sponsoring terrorism in India and in internationalizing the J&K issue.
Finally, the Assistant Secretary was also briefed on the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir and on Government's efforts and programmes to firmly combat Pakistan-instigated terrorism, restore normalcy and development activities, promote further strengthening of political processes leading to elections.
On Maritime Boundary
8 rounds of talks have been held between the Government of India and the Government of Bangladesh on demarcation of maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal from November, 1974 to January, 1982. Despite these talks, no substantial progress has been achieved due to differences of approaches and viewpoints of the two sides on substantive issues. No progress has been achieved on this issue in the last three years.
The Government of India is committed to resolve this issue through dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh
Five rounds of discussions have been held between India and Pakistan for the demarcation of the India- Pakistan maritime boundary in the Sir Creek area. The last round of talks were held in New Delhi from 5-6 November, 1992 during which the two sides had detailed exchange of views. However, differences in the interpretation of the boundary in the Sir Creek area persist.
Government have since conveyed to Pakistan certain constructive and specific suggestions which can form the basis of a comprehensive and meaningful dialogue on this
issue.
(Source: L.SUQ No. 2209 dated 11 December, 1995 by B. Passl)
K.P. Nayar
Foreign Policy: Narasimha Rao's or BJP's?
Three months after P.V. Narasimha Rao was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party's National Executive met in Thiruvananthapuram to adopt, among other things, a 4-page Resolution on Foreign Policy.
Four-and-a-quarter years later it is illuminating to re-read the BJP's Thiruvananthapuram resolution.
The document is important for foreign policy analysts in this election year for three reasons. It is the most comprehensive foreign policy analysis by the BJP in 10 years: the previous occasion when the party had adopted any foreign policy paper even remotely as analytical was in April 1981, when its national executive met in Kochi.
Secondly, it espoused the BJP's position on international affairs for the first time since the end of the Cold War.
Re-reading the Thiruvananthapuram resolution today, it is difficult to overlook the startling fact that the Congress government has implemented almost everything that the BJP wanted done in the area of foreign policy.
In 1991, the BJP's national executive demanded the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Israel. It not only sought normalization of relations with China, but also a dialogue with Beijing on "international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern".
Ten days ago, leaders of the Janata Dal, the two Communist parties and the Forward Bloc issued a joint statement which dwelt on India's policy options on disarmament and the nuclear question. Their views also bear a striking resemblance to those expressed by both the BJP and the Congress leadership.
In an election, in which security issues and foreign policy are expected to figure much more than in any previous campaign, this raises interesting possibilities.
Despite doing almost everything that the BJP has demanded in foreign affairs, the Congress will be very much on the defensive during the campaign.
That the main Opposition intends to put the ruling party on the defensive is obvious from a 4-page foreign policy "agenda" which the BJP released on October 30, which is an indictment of the Rao government's record in external affairs.
The only consolation for the ruling party may be that the National Front and Left Front have shown much less interest in foreign affairs and may thus leave foreign policy as an issue to be fought out between the Congress and the BJP.
(Source: The Indian Express, 2 January, 1996)
