Mr. Chirac

The General said his talks in Paris with both Mr. Chirac and Mr. Jospin were ``constructive and fruitful'' with a ``meeting of minds and views'' and that France had displayed both ``understanding and empathy'' for issues in South Asia. ``Pakistan is itself a victim of terrorism and it is in our interest that intolerance, extremism and terrorism be eradicated,'' the General declared in his opening remarks. ``The conflicts and flashpoints around the world, all of them political, in Bosnia or Kosovo or Kashmir or Palestine must be resolved with justice and equality. Despondence and despair propel people to extremism. Denial breeds extremism,'' the General said, in a clear reference to Kashmir. There has been a discernible change in France's position towards Pakistan. For the past few years, and particularly since Gen. Musharraf's accession to power in a coup d'etat, France has been building a ``strategic relationship'' with India. The foundations of that relationship now appear to be shaky, at best.