ASIA/INDIA - India and Pakistan start new negotiation on Kashmir and nuclear safety on June 27th and 28th.

New Delhi (Fides Agency) - Peace seems behind the corner: the new Indian government declared it wants to put an end as soon as possible to its dispute with Pakistan on the Kashmir region and now dates have been selected for new peace talks to begin between the diplomatic corps of the two powerful bordering countries. The meeting’s agenda on June 27th and 28th will look into the issue of the Kashmir region and into the issue of nuclear safety.
Talks had started last February in an historical meeting between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indian President Atal Behari Vajpayee. Now the new Indian government, led by the Congress Party, has assured the people it will carry on the peace process. The increasing closeness of the two countries has enabled railway, airplane and bus connections to be re-established and the Indian cricket team could finally tour around Pakistan.
In the meanwhile, in India, the Baratiya Janata Party, which turned out the loser in the last elections, has chosen Lal Krishna Advani as its new leader. Mr Advani was Minister of Internal Affaires in the past government and is considered one of the most extremist personalities, said to have used fundamentalist Hindu groups in the past to achieve political consensus.
Advani promised that BJP shall develop “constructive opposition”, but according to observers this promise has yet to be verified.
(PA) (Fides Agency 3/6/2004 lines 21 words 245)