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Moscow
May 29, 2002
Russia and the EU follow with concern the dangerous situation developing in Indo-Pakistani relations. The current increasing tension, which is fuelled by continuing provocative actions conducted by Kashmir extremist organizations, threatens stability in the entire South Asia region. Terrorist acts committed in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir have taken the toll of dozens of lives among civilians including children. They make Pakistan suffer as well. These terrorist attacks must end to ensure peace and security in the region.
The tests of medium and small-range missiles just carried out by Pakistan, in our view, can not but aggravate the already worrying situation in South Asia and run counter to the readiness expressed many times by Pakistani leaders to act together with the international community in an effort to seek a political settlement of the crisis.
Aware that terrorism is the common enemy of us all, we hope that both Governments will make efforts to avoid a spiral of confrontation of unpredictable consequences, and that they will promptly do whatever necessary to reduce tensions as the first step to the resumption of a productive dialogue in order to peacefully solve the differences.