13 November 2003 08:37
India, Russia agree on way forward in Iraq, Middle East, Koreas, Afghanistan
Moscow, 12 November: Russia and India have said it is "necessary to adopt a specific timetable of actions under
the UN aegis for prompt restoration of Iraq's state sovereignty, stabilization of the political and humanitarian
situation in the country, and ensuring its economic recovery, with broad international participation".
So says the Joint Declaration on Global Challenges and Threats to International Security, signed in the Kremlin on
Wednesday [12 November] by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
In the same document, Russia and India "call for averting the derailment of the implementation of the 'road
map'" settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing that this "could result in the situation
in Israel and Palestine, and the whole Middle East, going out of control". "This could have severe
consequences not only for the region but for the whole world," the document says.
Russia and India also spoke out in favour of "a peaceful solution to the nuclear problem in the Korean Peninsula
and ensuring its nuclear-free status, taking into account North Korea's security concerns".
The two countries spoke "in favour of continuing the six-sided negotiations started in Beijing, finding mutually
acceptable solutions, and further developing inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation".
In the declaration Russia and India also noted "the importance of abiding by the provision of the Bonn agreement
on the timetable for holding democratic elections in Afghanistan next year". "The Russian Federation and India
firmly believe that Afghanistan should become a peaceful, strong, prosperous, single and independent state, free from
outside interference and living in peace and harmony with its neighbours," the declaration says.
[ITAR-TASS news agency, reporting in Russian at 1155 gmt, also said: "The declaration notes that Russia and
India are convinced that decisive and effective measures should be taken to counter the threat of spread of narcotic
substances, particularly in view of the fact that drugs trafficking serves as one the financial props for international
terrorism. In this connection the sides have called for strengthening multilateral cooperation to counter the global
drug threat coming from Afghanistan."]
[Interfax news agency] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
