CNN SATURDAY
Interview With Lalit Mansingh
Aired January 5, 2002 - 17:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: To help us understand India's viewpoint in this conflict, we're joined by the Indian ambassador to the United States, Lalit Mansingh. Thank you very much for being with us, sir.
LALIT MANSINGH, INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Thank you, Catherine. Good to be here.
CALLAWAY: We just a report of the video of the handshake between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and India's Prime Minister Atal Vajpayee. Is the media reading too much into this handshake? Do you think that anything is being done in Kathmandu to soothe the tensions going on between India and Pakistan?
MANSINGH: Well, our prime minister spoke about that handshake in his speech. He said that we have go beyond the handshake, that the president of Pakistan must follow up the handshake by taking meaningful steps against terrorism.
CALLAWAY: What would the first step have to be before we would see an open dialogue between these two leaders?
MANSINGH: Well, we would test Pakistan's sincerity under two criteria. One, we have to see whether acts of terrorism come to an end in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere. And secondly, we have given Pakistan a list of the 20 most wanted criminals and terrorists who have found refuge in Pakistan. We will see Pakistan's sincerity in taking action against them, and handing them over to us.
CALLAWAY: We're looking now at that video of that handshake now. Sir, are you saying that India is not open to any type of discussions with Pakistan until those criteria are met?
MANSINGH: Well, you know, we have had many discussions in the past. And India has initiated all of these discussions. The dialogue has been an idea of Prime Minister Vajpayee. He is the one who went by bus to Lahore; he's the one who invited President Musharraf to India in July last year. So, we are not saying we don't want to dialogue. But for the dialogue to be meaningful, Pakistan must stop terrorism. You can't have dialogue and terrorism at the same time. We are saying that if you want to shake hands with us, put the gun away, and that's reasonable.
CALLAWAY: What about India being receptive to the idea of possibly sending a U.S. envoy to that region? Is India receptive to that?
MANSINGH: Well, you know, the leaders are in touch with our leaders. President Bush has spoken to Prime Minister Vajpayee. Secretary of State Powell and Secretary Rumsfeld have spoken to their counterparts on the telephone. We have a lot of communications going. I don't think there is any special need for an envoy to visit India.
CALLAWAY: India seems -- I mean, Pakistan, rather, seems very receptive to the idea?
MANSINGH: Well, people have been visiting us. We will certainly welcome them, but while the communications are going on almost on a daily basis, I don't know if there is a need for sending an envoy.
CALLAWAY: What kind of effect is the fact that there are state election are coming up next month in India? What kind of pressure does that put Mr. Vajpayee under?
MANSINGH: I don't think the state election are relevant. We are talking about terrorism. What happened on 13th of December has, as you saw earlier on the program, has caused a sense of deep anger and outrage in India, and people are saying that enough is enough. We must take action to protect our country, and to take action against the terrorists. The election have got nothing to do with it.
CALLAWAY: Good look to you, sir. I think everyone would like to see the tensions between your two countries settled quickly. Thank you very much for joining us this afternoon.
MANSINGH: Thank you, Catherine.
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