Roadmap ready: Sinha

The External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha today said New Delhi has prepared the 8216;8216;entire roadmap8217;8217; for talks with Pak...

The External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha today said New Delhi has prepared the 8216;8216;entire roadmap8217;8217; for talks with Pakistan, but has opted for a 8216;8216;step by step approach8217;8217;. While agreeing that the 8216;8216;thawing has begun8217;8217;, he ruled out any dramatic gesture in the days ahead.

In an interview to NDTV 24215;7, Sinha said: 8216;8216;We have worked out the entire roadmap. Every step is clear in our mind. There is no confusion in the Government and we will proceed according to the plan.8217;8217;

8216;8216;In a way, the plan has started. The two Prime ministers have spoken on telephone. We have announced some steps and there has been some response from Pakistan.8217;8217;

While not giving out any more details, he emphasised that Pakistan will have to create the necessary conditions for the peace effort to be successful. This would mean putting an end to cross-border terrorism and dismantling terrorist infrastructure across the LoC. This, he added, was a 8216;8216;practical necessity8217;8217;.

Indicating that India would not rush into talks at the highest level without careful preparation, he said: 8216;8216;The summit for talks between both countries will come right at the end. In the meanwhile, there are a number of issues that are best discussed at official level.8217;8217;

On Pakistan8217;s view that Kashmir was the 8216;8216;core issue8217;8217;, Sinha said talks should take place within a composite dialogue framework which would include a variety of issues including J-K.

The minister sought to clarify that the possibility of India-Pakistan dialogue should be kept separate from the proposed SAARC summit in Islamabad. 8216;8216;There have been SAARC summits in the past which have not led to a dialogue between India and Pakistan. I don8217;t think a bilateral summit can be confused with a SAARC summit8217;8217;. He, however, refused to comment on whether New Delhi would participate in the summit this year as the dates are still to been fixed.

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Later this evening, Sinha left on a bilateral visit to Russia. He is expected to meet US Secretary of State Colin Powell during his stay in Moscow on Wednesday.

He will then proceed to London to attend the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group CMAG on May 19 where Pakistan8217;s re-entry into the Commonwealth is expected to be taken up. On India8217;s position on Pakistan8217;s re-entry, a Minister of Eternal Affairs spokesperson said: 8216;8216;It is a multilateral decision. You cannot pre-judge multilateral decisions. We will wait to see what view the CMAG takes on the issue.8217;8217;

Referring to the Harare Declaration and the Milbrooke Action Plan, he said the Commonwealth works according to certain rules, regulations and principles. 8216;8216;It is not for me to pre-judge what the CMAG will do.8217;8217;

But, the spokesperson added that issues which need to be explained include restoration of full democracy in Pakistan 8212; the President also being the Chief of Army Staff and the fact that there has been no joint sitting of the Senate.