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CNN Live Sunday

Russia Plans Push to Get India, Pakistan Talking

Aired June 02, 2002 - 11:02   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Our top story now, international pressure on India and Pakistan to begin resolving the dispute over Kashmir, Russia plans its own push to get the two nuclear rivals together during this week's Asian summit in Kazakhstan. CNN's Matthew Chance is covering developments in Almaty and he joins us live with the latest. Hi there, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, and that's right there is a lot of anticipation, not just in the region but around the world about what the coming days will bring here in Almaty, Kazakhstan, whether the conference here between Asian nations will yield some kind of ice-breaking summit, face-to-face meetings between the Indian and Pakistani leaders.

Certainly, that's what the Russian administration, the Russia delegation, which is visiting here tomorrow is hoping for. That delegation led by President Vladimir Putin has pledged to try and bring the two sides together. President Musharraf of Pakistan has indicated that he is willing to sit across the table from the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to discuss the very difficult issue of Kashmir.

India though for its part has rejected attempts historically of third party mediation. It's rejecting the attempt by Russia at this stage to bring the two parties together. It says that this is an issue that should be sold between India and Pakistan alone.

Nevertheless, there is a great deal of tension, of course, in Kashmir in the region, and because of that, a great amount of diplomatic pressure is being brought to bear on Pakistan to crack down on the flow of militants across the line of control into Indian- administered Kashmir and, of course, on India as well to grasp this opportunity here in Kazakhstan and to sit down and to talk peace with the Pakistani president.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance from Almaty, thank you very much.

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