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US will support any Indian move in Lanka

India and the United States today expressed their commitment to a united Sri Lanka.

Foreign Secretary Lalit Mansingh and US undersecretary of state for political affairs, Thomas Pickering, who is in Delhi on a two-day visit, declared that they supported the Norwegian initiative to bring the war in Lanka to an end.

Pickering is in India to initiate foreign office-level talks as part of the 'Architecture of Dialogue' decided upon during US President Bill Clinton's visit to India in March.

Pickering and Mansingh today had a one-to-one meeting, which was followed by delegational talks.

The discussions covered bilateral relations and also the Sri Lankan crisis. Pickering said the US firmly believed that there was no military solution to the crisis in Sri Lanka and strongly backed any effort by any party, including the present Norwegian effort, to end the crisis.

He added that should India make any effort to resolve the issue, the US would back the move.

Asked if the US would like to play a role in Lanka, Pickering pointed out that no one had, as yet, approached Washington.

Mansingh reiterated India's position that it would not help out unless it was approached by the Sri Lankan government.

Both Pickering and Mansingh voiced concern about the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire between the Sri Lankan Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

When reporters pointed out that despite proclaiming the principle of not supporting terrorist organisations, India and the US had shown little inclination to help the Lankan army, Pickering only said that the LTTE remained a banned outfit in the US.

Mansingh too said India had no contact with the LTTE. When asked how India would negotiate with an organisation it had no contact with, Mansingh evaded a reply.

The two countries also discussed briefly the situation in Fiji and called upon the coup leaders to restore the democratically elected government. "We do not believe that a change in government through violence is right," declared Pickering.

Earlier, Pickering said he wanted to reiterate that President Clinton had thoroughly enjoyed his visit to India and was pleased at the opportunity to put Indo-US relations on a fine course of closer ties.

Mansingh said the US had invited Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the US and the dates of the visit would be worked out after mutual consultations.

Pickering has already met Defence Minister George Fernandes and is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh tomorrow.

EARLIER REPORT
Pickering may discuss Lanka with India

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