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Bush wants Musharraf to fulfil pledge; Putin to talk to Vajpayee, Musharraf

US President George W Bush on Saturday firmly told Pakistan to fulfil its pledge to stop cross-border terrorism even as Russian President Vladimir Putin said he expected to meet leaders of India and Pakistan for talks early in June in Almaty (Kazakhstan) to defuse the military stand-off.

"It is very important for President Musharraf to do what he said he was going to do... and that is to stop the incursions across the border," Bush said.

"It is important that India knows that he (Musharraf) is going to fulfil his promise" to crackdown on Pakistan-based militants active in Jammu and Kashmir, he said in St Petersburg.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said he expected to meet Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for talks in Almaty (Kazakhstan) early in June, even as Moscow strongly condemned a missile test by Islamabad and asked it to move from 'words to deeds' in demonstrating its genuine desire for political dialogue with India.

"I hope they will come, so that we could discuss ways to prevent further escalation of the conflict," Putin said.

ITAR-TASS quoted sources in the Russian foreign ministry as saying that Putin's meetings with the Indian and Pakistani leaders could take place on the sidelines of the three-day summit on cooperation and trust-building measures in Asia from June 3 at Almaty in Kazakhstan.

Pakistan Information Minister Nisar Memon has said that Pakistan will 'respond positively' to Putin's initiative.

Reacting to Pakistan test firing the Ghauri missile, Putin said: "Russia regrets that the tests are being conducted in the present conditions."

India has indicated that it would convey its concern over Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism to leaders of Asian countries during the conference in Almaty to be attended by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Meanwhile, French President Jacques Chirac on Saturday telephoned Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and showed 'full understanding' of India's perception in its fight against Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism.

During the 15-minute conversation, Chirac voiced his sympathy over the killing of innocent women and children in the May 14 Kaluchak terrorist attack, official sources said.

Vajpayee, in turn, told Chirac that India's patience was 'running out' in view of brutal acts of terrorism, which had aroused anger across the country and that people are 'urging us to act'.

PTI

Terrorism Strikes in Jammu: The complete coverage

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