Germany added its voice Friday to the chorus of concern over Pakistan’s attitude towards terrorism by asking it to come clean on the extent of its links with terrorist groups.
Talking to journalists ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to India next week, Germany’s ambassador Thomas Matussek said there were worries about possible collaboration of parts of Pakistan’s security apparatus with terrorists.
In Islamabad, visiting US secretary of state Hillary Clinton asked Pakistan to take decisive steps against terrorists operating from its soil.
She said Osama bin Laden is dead but the Al Qaeda and its syndicate of terror remain a serious threat to world peace.
Mr Matussek said defence and security dialogue will be a part of what Germany calls “inter-governmental consultations” with India. It will be the first of its kind with a non-European country, with the exception of Israel.
The German ministers of foreign affairs, defence, transport, education, trade, and environment, will join Ms Merkel in delegation-level talks and hold separate meetings with their Indian counterparts.
Other bilateral issues such as trade, science and technology, vocational training, and skills development, and regional and global issues, such as Afghanistan, Libya, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform, can be expected to be an integral part of the discussions.
Germany and India are members of the Group of Four (G-4), along with Brazil and Japan, which are jointly pushing for permanent UNSC seats.