India, Russia see no difference in 'Good' or 'Bad' Taliban: Rao

Onboard Air India One, Dec.8 (ANI): Giving a call to tackle the situation in Pakistan effectively, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Tuesday said that India and Russia have shown unanimity in seeing no difference between 'Good' or 'Bad' Taliban.

"Russia and India are on the same side, when it comes to recognizing the very serious dimensions of the clear and present danger that we face from terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan," Rao told reporters onboard the special aircraft carrying Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his entourage back home after completing a successful summit-level visit to Moscow.

"Like India, Russia doesn't see any validity that you can distinguish between so called 'Good Taliban' and 'Bad Taliban'. That distinction doesn't exist," Rao said further.

India is extremely critical of any sort of deal or reconciliation with militants in Afghanistan as proposed in U.S. President Barack Obama's new AFPAK policy.

Rao said that both India and Russia have also expressed the need fortackling the situation in Pakistan effectively. Both countries found convergence on the view that to settle the problem of terrorism that afflicts and dominates the Afghanistan landscape, there is a need fortackling the situation in Pakistan effectively. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)