He also criticised US President Bill Clinton for reportedly pressurising Russian President Boris Yeltsin to stop military cooperation with India. ``We want to improve Indo-US relations and a review of the sanctions. Clinton's actions will have a negative effect on better Indo-US ties,'' he said.

On Mandela bringing up Kashmir at the NAM meeting, Sharma said that the BJP and the government were firmly of the view that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and there was no question of any third party involvement.

``It is wrong for this issue to be raised at any international forum. Pakistan has tried to do so several times and failed. Mandela's departure fromtradition, at the beginning of his three-year term as NAM Chairman, is not correct, '' he added.

He rejected the suggestion that the development reflected a failure of India's foreign policy.

On a more positive note, Sharma said that the meeting between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz marked a positive shift in Pakistan's attitude. Pakistan had accepted that all issues should be discussed during talks between the two countries, not only Kashmir. With this, avenues would open for more talks between India and Pakistan, he hoped.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the BJP's Mahila Morcha led by its president Maya Singh, met Home Minister L K Advani today to urge the government to form a time-bound programme to curb crimes against women.