Vikas Swarup, MEA spokesperson

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 1

India today toughened its stand on holding talks with Pakistan and was firm in its assertion that Pakistan needed to stop cross-border terrorism for dialogue to resume. Reports emanating from Pakistani media today also suggested that so far, India and Pakistan had no plans to hold a bilateral on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia (HOA) conference scheduled to be held in Amritsar on December 3-4.At a media briefing today, when asked repeatedly over the possibility of a bilateral in Amritsar since Sartaj Aziz, the de facto foreign minister of Pakistan, will be in attendance, India was quick to say that while it was ready for talks, “India will never accept continued terrorism as the new normal of the bilateral relationship”.The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, also listed out many of the terrorist attacks against India that had been traced back to Pakistan. Meanwhile, Dawn newspaper in Pakistan quoted official sources as saying that while Pakistan was willing for talks, India was not and also pointed out that New Delhi did not want to discuss the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. While many had pointed out that the HOA conference offered both countries an opportunity to talk and to reduce the bilateral tensions, India seems in no mood to take up Pakistan’s offer of talks.

Delhi to help Dhaka in defence production

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 1

Within two weeks of Bangladesh getting its first submarine from China, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today ended a two-day visit to Dhaka with a promise of allowing Indian defence manufacturers to help the neighbouring country set up its own military hardware manufacturing base.New Delhi has offered Dhaka that Indian public sector undertakings will help build the military production capabilities of Bangladesh. Indian PSUs are already making naval warships, rifles, guns, tanks and armoured vehicles that are needed by the neighbour.Bangladesh would like to see some growth of its own defence production industry and India has offered its services, sources said.Leading an 11-member delegation, Parrikar is the first Indian Defence Minister to visit Dhaka. India and Bangladesh have sorted out their differences over the land boundary and maritime boundary disputes and till now the two countries did not have military-to-military relationship.Parrikar today called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who also holds defence portfolio, and discussed measures to strengthen military and security ties. He had yesterday met President Abdul Hamid who assured India that it had “zero tolerance” policy against terrorism and sought expanded military ties.New Delhi has offered more training slots for Bangladesh at Indian training institutions. The Defence Minister also met Hasina’s security adviser Major General Tariq Ahmed (retd). Hasina herself is expected to visit India next month.