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CNN Sunday Morning

Regional Summit in Kazakhstan Likely to Focus on India, Pakistan

Aired June 02, 2002 - 07:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn back now to the growing animosity between India and Pakistan.

Our Matthew Chance is in Kazakhstan where 16 national -- or nation, rather -- 16 nation regional security -- or 16 nations are gathering for a regional security summit that's going to take place. He joins us now live with more on this.

Hello, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, that's right. Sixteen nations here gathered for the Regional Security Incorporation Summit amongst Asian nations. The agenda though is likely to be dominated by the continuing standoff between India and Pakistan, but whether there will be a face-to-face meeting between the Indian and Pakistani leaders is still subject of much speculation. And certainly, a great deal of people in the region and around the world are hoping that it will be the venue for that and the Russian delegation as well, which has offered to broker talks between the two sides. It's saying it's still trying to bring the two sides together.

President Musharraf of Pakistan has indicated his willingness to sit across the table from his Indian counterpart, Atal Behari Vajpayee. The Indians though, for their part, continued to resist the idea of third party mediation and have said that they don't intend to have talks with the Pakistan leadership until there is firm evidence that there's been a crackdown on militants infiltrating from Pakistan into Indian-administered Kashmir.

Nevertheless, though, with tensions boiling over in Kashmir with the threat of war and the threat even of a possible nuclear exchange between the two countries or at least the fear of that amongst many quarters, a great deal of diplomatic pressure is being brought to bear both on India to sit down and to talk and on Pakistan to crack down on those militants infiltrating.

Now, the Indian delegation is expected to arrive here with the next hour or so. The Pakistani delegation is coming tomorrow -- that's Monday local time -- along with the Russian delegation, which is headed by President Vladimir Putin. So there is some time, but only a very small window of opportunity for both sides to grasp -- to take advantage of this Kazakhstan summit to step back from the brink -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: Matthew Chance live from Kazakhstan. We will be following that summit with you. Thank you so much.

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