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Kashmir is a bilateral issue: Pranab

Special Correspondent

“We are trying to resolve it through series of discussions”

Pranab Mukherjee

Kolkata: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that Kashmir was a bilateral issue and India was trying to resolve matters through series of discussions.

Responding to media queries on tax breaks promised by U.S. President-elect Barack Obama or the stand likely to be taken by him on Kashmir, he said : “While I cannot comment on the tax issues relating to Mr. Obama, as and where in respect of Kashmir, I can say that this is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and we are trying to resolve this under the Shimla Accord and the Lahore agreement, through a series of discussions.”

Mr. Mukherjee was here as the chief guest for a curtain-raiser session on the BIMSTEC Summit to be held in News Delhi. The session was organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in association with the Centre for Studies in International Relations and Development .

On the global financial crisis, Mr. Mukherjee said that the Millenium Development Goal adopted at the U.N. General Assembly and the assurances contained therein would all sound very lofty unless the problem was tackled in all its dimensions. “The problem is not only of the banking or the financial sector but it involves development issues,” he said. He said that world leaders, who are expected to meet next week, would come up with a package to provide succour and relief to those affected by the crisis.

A major aspect of the crisis is that recession is setting in and if adequate resources are not made available then the objective of employment generation, poverty alleviation and growth in general will face serious problem. “We must recognise this,” Mr. Mukherjee said.

He said that BIMSTEC, which is a multi-sectoral cooperation initiative between Bay of Bengal countries — India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan — had huge potential and 13 areas of cooperation had been identified. Pointing out that a lot could be achieved if the atmosphere was one of peace and tranquility, Mr. Mukherjee cited the examples of cooperation among the European Union, which now had the strongest currency — the Euro.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who shared the dais with Mr. Mukherjee, said that although the world was going through financial turbulence, it could not be concluded that globalisation would take a backseat. “It is a must and if any country wants to join the process they are free to do so.” He stressed on the need for closer understanding between developing countries through South-South cooperation. “If we can formulate proper policies on regional cooperation it will be a big help,” he said, noting that while ASEAN was progressing well, SAARC had a long way to go. Given West Bengal’s geographical location, it was ready to participate in the BIMSTEC agenda, he said.

CSIRD Director Jayanta Sarkar said “all the seven countries with BIMSTEC are rich in some way or the other like hydel power, mineral resources, tourism and fisheries and if these resources could be harnessed in a co-ordinated manner then the policy could be a one which looks east as well as west.”

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