'Singh-Musharraf meet may help India-Pak peace'

Washington, Sept 15: The Bush administration is evincing keen interest in the proposed Manmonhan-Musharraf meet on the fringes of the NAM Summit in Havana, hoping that it may help provide a basis for the resumption of Indo-Pak peace process which hit a roadblock following the 7/11 serial blasts in Mumbai.

An indication to this effect was given here yesterday in a speech by Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Richard Boucher but he also made it clear, obviously appreciating Indian sensibilities, that the US had no intention to interfere or mediate in the subcontinent.

He confined himself to lauding the ''statesmanship'' shown by the two leaders - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf - both of whom are now in Havana, Cuba.

Mr Boucher spelt out the limited US role of providing constant encouragement to the two sides. It was not direct, he emphasised.

According to reports, Indian and Pakistani official have made lot of preparations for the Singh-Musharraf encounter, their third in two years, and a possibility of a joint statement at the end is not ruled out.

Apparently, the cross-border terrorism is likely to dominate their agenda.

Though there is not much interest in the NAM in the United States, a State Department spokesman said the US had ''a lot of friends'' at the Summit among whom who he listed India and Indonesia.

He, however, said, ''it's a gathering that has its origins in another era and it's really up to the participants and the member states to see what it is that they make of this gathering of heads of state, heads of government and other representatives.''

UNI

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