Blair calls for Asian dialogue

NEW DELHI, India -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged India and Pakistan to resolve their dispute over Kashmir through dialogue rather than conflict.

With the region on the brink of war, following the military build-up on both sides of the India-Pakistan border Blair used talks in New Delhi on Sunday with his counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee to issue his latest appeal for calm.

But Blair, who will hold talks in Pakistan with President Pervez Musharraf on Monday, acknowledged it would take more than a meeting to resolve the crisis.

Speaking after talks in the Indian capital's Hyderabad House with Vajpayee and before a private dinner with him Blair repeated his condemnation of the terror attacks against a regional parliament in India on October 1 and the national parliament on December 13.

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India accuses Pakistan of harbouring the militant groups it blames for the outrages, carried out in the name of a perceived struggle to separate Kashmir from India.

The two leaders also signed a New Delhi Declaration, which promised the two nations would continue to work closely together on a wide range of issues including international peace and security.

Blair said: "It's important that we co-operate in the fight against terrorism wherever it is.

"Terrorism is terrorism wherever it occurs, whoever are its victims.

"The attacks on the Indian parliament and the assembly were attacks on civilised values and democracy everywhere.

"The attack on the Indian parliament is the same for me as an attack on the Westminster parliament.

"What is important is that we reach a position where support for terrorism in whatever form stops so that proper political dialogue can begin."

Vajpayee stressed: "We are ready to discuss issues with Pakistan. India stands for dialogue, we believe in an exchange of views. We believe in negotiations to solve problems."

But he made clear Pakistan had to renounce the militant terror groups and hand over a wanted list of suspects before any such discussions could take place.

Blair was asked whether he had raised the dangers of a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan and replied: "We obviously discussed how important it was to avoid a conflict of any kind.

"There are two parts to this. One is that support for terrorism stops and ceases and the other is that there can then be meaningful dialogue about all the issues between India and Pakistan.

"I think it's important that we do everything that possibly can be done in order to make sure that whatever disputes there are can be resolved peacefully, democratically, without resort to violence."

Pressed again whether he had directly raised the nuclear issue Blair said: "We mentioned the issue, of course, of the importance of making sure you don't have a conflict of any sort."

Although Blair has discussed the crisis with U.S. President George W. Bush, British officials made plain he was not bringing a message from the White House to the region.

And Blair stressed: "In the end, this is an issue that has to be resolved by India and Pakistan.

"The important thing is that however strong the cause that people have, however strong they feel, the cause is pursued by means other than terrorism. There cannot be any compromise on that."

He added: "The very strong feeling in the international community is that people want to see the circumstances brought about where dialogue and the political process can take the place of extremism and terrorism."

Blair said he welcomed some of the steps that Pakistan have taken in recent days but added: "There is no doubt as to what needs to happen. There has to be a complete rejection of the type of terrorist attacks carried out in India."

Blair went on: "Once it's clear that rejection is there, then I believe India, provided the threat of terrorism is lifted, is prepared to have that meaningful dialogue."

The prime minister acknowledged: "It takes more than simply a meeting but the declaration we have signed is important in setting basic principles."

Blair will complete his visit to India with some brief engagements early Monday in New Delhi before flying on to the Pakistan capital Islamabad for talks there.