SINGAPORE, JULY 25: The US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, emphasised the importance of Pakistan following through on its commitment to withdraw from the remaining positions along the Kargil Sector in Jammu and Kashmir.This followed her hour-long meeting with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today. The two also discussed the importance of resuming the Lahore peace process. Albright later told newsmen that she discussed with Jaswant Singh ``in a general way on moving forward on non-proliferation issues and positive movement in thinking on the Kashmir issue.''The talks between the two included a 20-minute one-to-one conversation. Jaswant Singh said after the meeting that it was ``purposeful, friendly, and productive.'' Albright told him that President Clinton was planning an `early' visit to India, which Jaswant Singh explained would be after the Lok Sabha elections in September. ``We shared the view that Indo-US relations should be taken to a qualitatively new level,'' Jaswant Singhsaid.Meanwhile, during Singh's meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister, Tang Jiaxuan, it was decided that a group of diplomatic and military experts of the two sides will meet later this year to go into the border dispute. China also accepted the Indian proposal of joint celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between the two. A joint expedition to Mount Everest will also be undertaken to mark the occasion. This is tentatively slated for April next year. Besides, cultural and media exchanges will be planned between the two to enhance understanding among people.The scheduled 40-minute meeting, which the Chinese foreign minister described as `good', was extended to 55 minutes. It was decided to work out details and methodology of the `security dialogue' between the two. Significantly, the nuclear issue did not figure while China reiterated its stand that all issues between India and Pakistan, including J&K, should be resolved through peaceful negotiations within theframework of the Lahore process.Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign minister underlined the need to intensify cooperation on the regional and international issues between the two, which assumes significance in the light of its continuing differences with US on Taiwan and other issues.Tang Jiaxuan accepted Jaswant Singh's invitation to visit India and his home town in Rajasthan.While discussing the Lahore dialogue and the Kargil issue, Jaswant Singh is believed to have told the US Secretary of State, Albright that to restore the trust, Pakistan needs to take some concrete steps to reaffirm the inviolability of the Line of Control and its abetment of trans-border terrorism. In fact, on terrorism, greater harmony in views of US and India has emerged during their talks. ``But I told her that as the initiator of the process, we stand by the Lahore commitment,'' Singh told The Indian Express.On the issue of disarmament, Jaswant Singh reiterated India's views on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty(CTBT) and non-proliferation and stated that these can only be taken up by the new government after elections.India accepted Albright's invitation to join in the US proposal on setting up a ``community of democracies.'' This is aimed at deliberating on how democracies can help and support one another.During his bilateral talks, Jaswant Singh made it a point to draw a distinction between the ongoing problem of terrorism in Kashmir Valley and the intrusions by Pak troops into Kargil. ``Kargil is a part of Ladhakh and not of the Valley and the intrusions are a manifestation of a different malady,'' he told the foreign ministers during his individual meetings. In the bilateral talks today, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam is also believed to have supported India's stand in Kargil.Jaswant Singh spent a hectic day in the meetings and besides others, met the Foreign Minister of Thailand, Dr Surin Pitsuwan and the Foreign Minister of the host country, S Jayakumar, today.
