Stressing that Pakistan's insistence on the centrality of the Kashmir issue had not produced results for 57 years, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh has called for a 'new beginning' in bilateral ties.
"Well, I would only say that we will appeal and request them [Pakistan] that this road we have travelled over 57 years hasn't produced the results that you want, the results that we want. Let's make a new beginning," he told Karan Thapar on BBC World. He was replying to a question about Pakistan's stand that Kashmir should be discussed first and that improvement in bilateral relations depended on progress on this issue.
"To me personally, the most important thing on our agenda should be nuclear dimension because when we [Congress] demitted office in 1996 we [India and Pakistan] were not a nuclear power," the minister said.
Asked if a mutually acceptable solution to resolve the Kashmir dispute was possible, he said: "I think it should be, given the goodwill on both sides. I think there should be attempt by both countries, both foreign offices, leaders of both the countries to try and address this thing and say that we have gone on with this for 57 years, at least let's clear the climate. I think public opinion of both countries is far ahead of the governments, that's my own feeling."
Asked whether the government was open to considering the possibility of alteration of the borders to resolve the Kashmir issue, Singh said: "You know we will cross the bridge when we come to it."
To a question if he had developed a personal rapport with his Pakistan counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri as the two leaders had spoken to each other on phone several times in the recent past, the minister said: "Well, I must say he [Kasuri] is obviously a very engaging personality and with a great sense of humour. And he's very forthcoming and I liked his disarming candor."
To a question if he considered the US to be a natural ally of India, the minister said: "In many ways yes they could be our ally. We are two democracies, we speak the same language."
On the role of the US in the Indo-Pak context, Singh indicated that New Delhi is not averse "to any helpful role" but was against any mediation. "All we have said [is] that the bedwork of our [Indo-Pak] relations is the Simla agreement and subsequent agreements and this is a bilateral matter."
