DATE=7/28/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-236139
TITLE=SAARC / PAK-INDIA (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN
DATELINE=SRI LANKA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE SAYS HE IS 
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TALKS HE WILL HAVE WITH PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER
NAWAZ SHARIF ON WEDNESDAY IN SRI LANKA, WHERE BOTH MEN ARE 
ATTENDING A SUMMIT OF THE SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL 
COOPERATION, OR SAARC [PRON: SARK].  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS 
BAKSHIAN REPORTS FROM COLOMBO. 

TEXT:  MR. VAJPAYEE, ON HIS ARRIVAL IN SRI LANKA, WAS QUOTED AS 
SAYING HE IS CONFIDENT THE DIALOGUE THE TWO LEADERS WILL HAVE IN 
COLOMBO WILL CONTINUE. HE DID  NOT  ELABORATE.

IN AN EARLIER INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEWS 
AGENCY, MR. VAJPAYEE SAID NEW DELHI WILL TRY TO BUILD BRIDGES 
WITH PAKISTAN, SO THE PROBLEMS BETWEEN THEM CAN BE RESOLVED 
BILATERALLY AND PEACEFULLY.

PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF HAS CALLED FOR 
INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION TO RESOLVE NUCLEAR TENSIONS AND OTHER 
ISSUES DIVIDING NEW DELHI AND ISLAMABAD.  IN AN INTERVIEW WITH 
SRI LANKA'S "ISLAND" NEWSPAPER, MR. SHARIF SAID SOUTH ASIA IS ON 
THE BRINK OF A DISASTROUS NUCLEAR ARMS RACE. 

HE SAYS PAKISTAN, UNLIKE INDIA, HAS NEVER SOUGHT RECOGNITION AS A
NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATE. HE SAYS THE ISSUE CONFRONTING PAKISTAN IS 
SECURITY,  NOT  RECOGNITION. 

INDIA SET OFF A SERIES OF NUCLEAR TESTS IN MAY AND PAKISTAN 
FOLLOWED WITH ITS OWN. THE NATIONS HAVE A HISTORY OF TENSIONS, 
AND HAVE FOUGHT THREE WARS.

THE INDIAN AND PAKISTANI NUCLEAR TESTS ARE  NOT  ON THE AGENDA OF
THE SOUTH ASIAN REGIONAL SUMMIT, WHICH BEGINS WEDNESDAY IN 
COLOMBO.  SRI LANKA IN THE PAST HAS REQUESTED THAT THE INDIAN 
OCEAN BE DECLARED A NUCLEAR-WEAPONS-FREE ZONE.  REPORTERS ASKED 
SRI LANKAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAKSHMAN KADIRGAMAR (TUESDAY) IF THE 
SUMMIT IS AFRAID TO ADDRESS SUCH CONTROVERSIAL MATTERS.

                     /// KADIRGAMAR ACT ///

         IT IS  NOT  A QUESTION OF COURAGE. IT IS A QUESTION OF 
         PRUDENCE, GOOD SENSE, AND A SENSE OF BALANCED JUDGMENT. 
         AND THESE MATTERS, AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD TAKE THEM UP 
         OR  NOT,  IS A MATTER ENTIRELY FOR THE SAARC COUNTRIES 
         TO DECIDE AMONG THEMSELVES.

                         /// END ACT ///

MR. KADIRGAMAR SAYS THE SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL 
COOPERATION, OR SAARC, DOES  NOT  TAKE UP ISSUES THAT IT CAN  NOT
DO ANYTHING USEFUL ABOUT AS A GROUP.  HE SAYS CONTENTIOUS ISSUES 
ARE LEFT OUT OF THE SUMMIT AGENDA SO WORK CAN GO FORWARD ON THE 
REGION'S PRESSING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

SAARC IS COMPOSED OF INDIA, PAKISTAN, NEPAL, BHUTAN, THE 
MALDIVES, BANGLADESH AND SRI LANKA.  TOGETHER THE COUNTRIES 
MAKE-UP MORE THAN ONE-FIFTH OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION.   (SIGNED)

NEB/DB/CB/WTW

28-Jul-98 6:35 AM EDT (1035 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.