WSN Service
NEW DELHI: Soviet President Gorbachev talked of “the loss of dynamics in bilateral exchanges” between India and the Soviet Union in the course of his talks in Moscow last week with India’s Foreign Minister Madhavsingh Solanki.
The Indian Minister rushed to meet the Soviet leader soon after Moscow voted in favor of a Pakistan Bangladesh joint proposal at the United Nations to isolate India in the world forum on the nuclear free zone for south East Asia.
India well known that the Soviet Union turned cool to India after it supported the abortive coup by Stalinist sand Delhi moved quietly closer to Washington in the meanwhile, President Gorbachev’s brief but telling comment on the “loss of dynamics” come as afresh confirmation of the growing distance between Delhi and Moscow.
The President, nevertheless, assured the Indian minister that friendship with India “is our strategic course” and that the “loss of dynamics” did not mean a change in the concept or policy towards “that great country”. As regards the current problems on account of trade and defense supplies, the Soviet President, according to an Indian spokesman, assured that every “possible effort” would be made to overcome the problems.
Meanwhile, Indian authorities are surprised and feel jolted at the Soviet vote on the nuclear free zone issue even while Moscows representative had informed his Indian counter-part prior to the voting. The Indian officers say that they have always known Soviet Union’s stand on the zone issue but Moscow earlier had abstained from voting against India in deference to its friendly relations with this county.
No country in the world, except for tiny Bhutan and tinier Mauritius, voted in favour of India. This position will be carried further when the UN. Secretary General holds consultations with countries of Southeast Asia and report back to the UN for further action on the issue. The process will lead to further isolation of India. Delhi thus will be under severe pressure from all over the world to sign a nuclear nonproliferation treaty
Article extracted from this publication >> November 22, 1991
