With US forces gearing up to take control over Baghdad, India has decided to step up its diplomatic activity on post-war political dispensation by ascertaining the views of Iraq’s neighbours.While there is currently no move to appoint a special envoy on Iraq, it has been decided that a secretary-rank officer will travel to West Asia later this month to hold consultations on post-war Iraq with Jordan, Syria and Turkey. This will be followed by New Delhi holding talks with UAE, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.It is learnt that New Delhi has plans to engage the permanent members of the UN Security Council besides Germany in a move to ameliorate the sufferings of Iraqi people. Brajesh Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, will hold talks with his interlocutors in Britain and France when he visits Washington in the first week of May.The Indian move comes at a time when there are differences between US and Europe over post-war reconstruction of Iraq. While US says its coalition must be in-charge of the interim administration as well as reconstruction, France, Russia and Germany advocate that only UN-led reconstruction effort could provide international legitimacy.Even though the exercise to hold diplomatic consultations is still being firmed up in South Block, it is learnt that R.M. Abhyankar, Secretary (Asia and North Africa) will travel to Amman on April 21 to hold talks with his counterpart and thereon move to Damascus and Ankara.There is no move to engage Iran at present as New Delhi has already exchanged notes with Ali Akbar Vilayati, special envoy to President Mohammed Khatami on Iraq, last month.As far as diplomatic activity in Iraq is concerned, New Delhi plans to take a view on April 9 for giving directions to B.B. Tyagi, the Indian ambassador to Iraq, who is currently based in Amman, to go back to Baghdad. With the Iraq events moving at a fast pace, it is expected that Tyagi will go back to Baghdad in the coming week as there has been no damage to the Indian mission. It is learnt that the Indian mission in Baghdad has not been hit by American air campaign but the communication lines have been disrupted.
