Siachen talks in June, don't expect dramatic results, says India

NEW DELHI: India made it clear that it would insist on proper authentication by Pakistan of the troop positions in Siachen before any disengagement is undertaken and cautioned against expecting any "dramatic" result from the next round of talks in June on the vexed issue.

Defence minister A K Antony asserted in the Rajya Sabha that India stood by its stand on authentication and had neither hardened or softened the position.

"Some people have said we are hardening our position (on Siachen), some say we have softened the position. We have neither hardened nor softened our position. We are standing where we were," he said, replying to a debate on the functioning of the defence ministry.

While informing the House that the 13th round of Defence Secretary-level talks on Siachen will take place in the second week of next month, Antony said during the last round Pakistan had refused to authenticate the troop positions of the two countries but India insisted on it.

"Don't expect dramatic results (from the next round of talks. It is a complicated issue," he said.

Making it clear that India was keen on authentication and had "not changed the position", he said, "it is the national position, not government position. We took the position after considered decision."

Siachen, the world's highest militarised zone, has been a long-pending dispute between India and Pakistan as the border is not clearly demarcated in the glaciated region.