DATE=7/29/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-236222
TITLE=PAKISTAN INDIA (L-UPDATE)
BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN
DATELINE=COLOMBO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF SAYS INDIA MUST 
SHOW SOME FLEXIBILITY ON THE KASHMIR DISPUTE AND AGREE TO THIRD 
PARTY MEDIATION ON THE ISSUE.  HE SPOKE FOLLOWING A MEETING WITH 
INDIAN LEADER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE AT A SOUTH ASIAN SUMMIT IN SRI
LANKA.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN REPORTS FROM 
COLOMBO.  

TEXT:  MR. SHARIF SAYS PAKISTAN AND INDIA HAVE  NOT  RESOLVED 
ANYTHING BILATERALLY IN 50 YEARS, AND THE SIDES NEED OUTSIDE HELP
IF THEY ARE TO ADDRESS THE LONG-STANDING KASHMIR ISSUE.

                        //  SHARIF ACT //

         I THINK AS FAR AS KASHMIR IS CONCERNED, I THINK THERE 
         HAS TO BE THIRD-PARTY MEDIATION.  SOMEBODY OUTSIDE INDIA
         AND PAKISTAN WILL HAVE TO HELP BOTH PAKISTAN AND INDIA 
         TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.  

                       //  END ACT //    

KASHMIR IS A DISPUTED TERRITORY OVER WHICH INDIA AND PAKISTAN 
HAVE FOUGHT TWO WARS.  NEW DELHI HAS LONG REJECTED THIRD PARTY 
INVOLVEMENT IN THE MATTER.  

MR SHARIF SPOKE FOLLOWING A MEETING WITH INDIAN PRIME MINISTER 
ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE.  HE SAYS THE TALKS WERE GOOD AND HE 
DESCRIBED MR. VAJPAYEE AS A GOOD MAN.

MR. VAJPAYEE, FOR HIS PART, ALSO DESCRIBED THE MEETING AS GOOD 
AND SAID THE DISCUSSIONS WERE WIDE-RANGING.  HE SAYS THAT AS A 
RESULT OF THE MEETING, THE SIDES DECIDED THEY WILL TRY TO 
RE-START PEACE TALKS BETWEEN THEIR FOREIGN SECRETARIES.

                       //  VAJPAYEE ACT //

         PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF AND I HAVE AGREED THAT THE 
         DIALOGUE PROCESS SHOULD BE RESUMED. AND WE HAVE DIRECTED
         OUR FOREIGN SECRETARIES TO MEET TODAY AND TOMORROW TO 
         WORK OUT THE MODALITIES OF THE RESUMPTION OF THE 
         DIALOGUE.

                        //  END ACT //  

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY DIALOGUE BROKE DOWN LATE LAST YEAR OVER THE
KASHMIR ISSUE.  ANALYSTS SAY IT IS  NOT  IMMEDIATELY CLEAR WHAT 
HAS CHANGED THAT WOULD LEAD TO REVIVAL OF THE TALKS.

THIS WAS THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN MR. SHARIF AND MR. VAJPAYEE 
SINCE INDIA AND PAKISTAN SET OFF NUCLEAR TESTS IN MAY.  BOTH MEN 
ARE IN COLOMBO FOR A SUMMIT OF THE SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR 
REGIONAL COOPERATION, OR SAARC,  

IN THEIR REMARKS TO THE SUMMIT, BOTH LEADERS ACKNOWLEDGED THERE 
IS A CHANGED SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTH ASIA FOLLOWING THE 
NUCLEAR BLASTS.  MR. SHARIF IN HIS SPEECH ALSO CALLED FOR A SOUTH
ASIAN COUNCIL TO BE FORMED TO EXAMINE SECURITY MATTERS. HE SAID 
SAARC SHOULD ADDRESS POLITICAL AS WELL AS ECONOMIC ISSUES.  
(SIGNED)

NEB/DB/LTD/MMK

29-Jul-98 11:46 AM EDT (1546 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.