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India is engaging in a hectic round of diplomacy in key capitals as it seeks to impress on them the necessity of what it calls a multi-dimensional approach in fighting global terrorism.
Even as National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra rounded off high-level discussions in Moscow, Washington and Paris, External Affairs and Defence Minister Jaswant Singh was on his way on Thursday for talks with his counterparts in Paris, Washington and Berlin.
Singh, like Mishra, would discuss the evolving international situation in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States and emphasise the imperatives of a global approach to terrorism.
Singh said he would convey to the leaders of these countries 'India's concerns and the imperatives of a multi-dimensional approach towards fighting international terrorism'.
Even as it extended its 'full support' to the United States in its declared war against terrorism in the wake of the September 11 attacks, India had said that terrorism is an international problem and piecemeal approaches would not help eradicate the scourge.
New Delhi says it has been fighting terrorism sponsored by Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taleban regime in Jammu and Kashmir for over a decade and wants Washington to address the overall problem of terrorism, instead of focusing its efforts purely against Saudi extremist Osama bin Laden, the main suspect in the attacks in New York and Washington.
Singh will hold talks with French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine and Defence Minister Alan Richard on Friday on bilateral issues as well as the international situation arising out of the September 11 terror strikes in the US.
He leaves for the US on the same day and after a day's stopover in New York arrives in Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
While the focus of Singh's talks with Powell is expected to be the evolving international situation and the wider implication of the anticipated US military operations against Afghanistan, his discussions with Rumsfeld could cover strengthening of bilateral military cooperation, now that the US has lifted the sanctions on India.
"A variety of arms whose sale had been suspended will come up (for discussions), opening the pipeline (for their sale) if India is still interested," US Ambassador Robert Blackwill told journalists in Delhi on Wednesday.
The US has suspended their sale as part of the sanctions imposed in the wake of India's nuclear tests in May 1998.
With the US virtually declaring war on Afghanistan's Taleban regime for providing sanctuary to bin Laden, Singh's discussions in Washington is also expected to cover the post-Taleban dispensation in Kabul.
From Washington, Singh will proceed to Berlin, where he will hold talks with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Defence Minister Rudolph Scharping and senior officials on October 3.
Indo-Asian News Service
The Attack on America: The Complete Coverage
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