ASHINGTON, Jan. 17 — India will not withdraw its forces from the border with Pakistan until raids across the border end and Pakistan hands over suspected Indian terrorists, India's defense minister said here today.

The conditions specified by the defense minister, George Fernandes, suggest there may not be an early end to the tense standoff along the India-Pakistan border despite efforts by the Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf, to crack down on violent extremists and despite appeals by the Bush administration for a peaceful resolution to the confrontation.

Mr. Fernandes outlined India's demands after meetings today with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage.

Mr. Fernandes's visit to Washington coincided with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's arrival in New Delhi on a mission to defuse recent tensions between the two sides.

The movement of large numbers of Indian troops to the Pakistan border has been widely seen in Washington as an audacious exercise in coercive diplomacy, an effort to put pressure on the Pakistani government to curb extremists opposed to an Indian presence in Kashmir.

Even though Secretary Powell has expressed confidence that the crisis between the two countries has begun to abate, there are concerns that the tensions between nuclear-armed adversaries could yet spin out of control.

The Pentagon is also concerned that the crises will prompt Pakistan to remove troops from its border with Afghanistan in order to buttress its defenses against India. That would undermine efforts to stop Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters from escaping from Afghanistan.

"I do not believe it is in either of their country's interests to stay for long periods in a state of high mobilization," Mr. Rumsfeld said after meeting with the Mr. Fernandes. "I think it's unhelpful to them, its unhelpful to the world."

Mr. Rumsfeld praised the actions taken by Mr. Musharraf to curb terrorism and said he was hopeful that "over the coming weeks and days we will see a relaxation of tension."

But there were no indications today that India would rush to withdraw any of its forces. Other Bush administration officials said they expected the first steps taken by the Indian government to improve its relations with Pakistan would not be military but political, like the resumption of air traffic between the two countries.

Mr. Fernandes staked out a firm position, spelling out two conditions for withdrawing India's troops. The first condition was an end to attacks across the border.

"We have very categorically stated that cross-border terrorism must stop," Mr. Fernandes told reporters later today.

He added, "It is only when we realize that Pakistan has taken specific, very concrete steps to end cross-border terrorism that one can discuss the withdrawal of troops that are now on the frontiers."

The second condition is the surrender of the group of Indian nationals suspected of terrorist activity. Mr. Fernandes qualified this demand, suggesting that Mr. Musharraf would not have to hand over Pakistani citizens.

"If there are any kind of problems in regard to Pakistani nationals that matter can be discussed further," Mr. Fernandes said. "But so far as people of Indian citizenship who have been used for terrorist activities and since found shelter in Pakistan, they should be handed over forthwith."

President Musharraf has left open the possibility of meeting this demand if more information about the suspected Indian terrorists is provided.

Still, Indian's demands raise several questions. One is how long India would have to wait to see if attacks across the border had in fact ceased before withdrawing its troops.

Mr. Fernandes declined to say how long a time without attacks across the border before India would be prepared to return its forces to peacetime garrisons.

Another question is how India will distinguish between attacks carried out by terrorists outside Pakistan's control and those who are believed to have official links to Pakistan.

Asked how India would make this distinction, Mr. Fernandes allowed that this was a good question and said his government would rely on its "experience before the last 15 years."

Mr. Fernandes's visit to Washington today was designed to promote broader military cooperation between the United States and India. The cooperative relationship was blocked as a result of Indian's resumption of nuclear testing in 1998.

A small step was taken toward the resumption of weapons deliveries from the United States to India when Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Fernandes signed an agreement today under which India would promise to protect secrets about any weapons systems that are provided.

Mr. Fernandes said his government expected the United States to send aircraft engines and radars to be used to track the source of artillery fire.

"We have been assured that these licenses are in the advanced stage of processing within the U.S. system and final decisions are to be conveyed shortly," he said.

But the crisis in South Asia continues to cast a shadow over relations between the two sides.

Seeking to avoid an escalation of the crisis, United States officials have quietly asked Israel to delay, but not cancel, the delivery of the Phalcon airborne warning and control system that India is purchasing.