New Delhi, May 30: The United States will persuade Pakistan to fulfil its commitment made to it a year ago to permanently end cross-border terrorism and infiltration into India, American ambassador Robert Blackwill said today. Washington will continue to have discussions with Islamabad in this regard, he told a TV channel. "We are not going to let up on this. We are not going to be distracted.” Blackwill, who is returning to the US in the next few months to pursue his academic life, stressed "we want cross-border terrorism, infiltration to India to end permanently. There is such a commitment to US, to the Bush administration a year ago. We want it to be realised. We want the violence to end." The American envoy chose not to use the word "pressure" on Pakistan, observing "most diplomacy is a matter of persuasion. It is not a matter of coercion. It is not a matter of pressure.” He said, "We have had constant discussions with the leadership of Pakistan about the issue of terrorism. And we will continue to have those conversations.” Asked whether Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was going far too long to get the peace initiative in place, he said, "I don`t want to guess about that or anticipate what is going to happen.” Appreciating the initiatives taken by India, he said what the Prime Minister did in Srinagar, in Parliament and in Berlin yesterday. He continues to create space, political space, in which India and Pakistan can move towards a more normal relationship, one where terrorist violence ends. "We hope he succeeds. Whatever we can do to push that along, we will do," he said.
Bureau Report