Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday denied media reports that there were "differences" within the Council of Ministers on whether or not to hold talks with the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference.

"There are no differences within the Council of Ministers on the issue of talks with the Hurriyat Conference. Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani has been given the responsibility to hold parleys and on that basis the talks will take place," Vajpayee told reporters at the airport here before emplaning for Moscow on the first leg of his weeklong three-nation visit to Russia, Tajikistan, and Syria.

Asked if he had talks with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after the state assembly's decision to jail six senior journalists, including five from The Hindu, Vajpayee said, "I had no conversation with Jayalalithaa."

To another question on his views regarding the move to jail the journalists, he said, "Everybody should respect the 'Lakshman rekha' (limit)."  In an apparent reference to The Hindu's Editor-in-Chief N Ram, the Prime Minister said in a lighter vein, "In Chennai, Ram is living there."

Asked if he had any interaction with Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid after he inaugurated the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Information Ministers conference on Tuesday morning, Vajpayee said, "I just shook hands. Today there was no conversation."

He said, "It is good that the information ministers of SAARC countries are meeting and I have in my address given certain suggestions that can be pondered over by the various

Countries."

On newspaper reports that Central Vigilance Commissioner P Shanker has complained to him about six central ministers, the Prime Minister said, "I do not understand how such reports have appeared. The cabinet secretary has already given his clarification and after that everything was cleared. No minister was named in the discussions. The cabinet secretary and other officials keep meeting. The officials of vigilance department are also there. But the media, somehow, tries to speculate and create sensational stories. This is not right."

In a statement released to the press, the prime minister said his visit to Russia "is in keeping with the agreement between the two countries who have annual summit meetings, so that we can constantly review and build on the progress in various elements of our strategic partnership".

"My discussions with Vladimir Putin and other representatives of the Russian leadership will also cover major global and regional political and economic developments," he said in the statement.

Observing that a nearly 100-strong Indian business delegation would be in Moscow during his visit, Vajpayee said he hoped they would establish useful contacts with Russian business and industries to allow trade and investment relations to be put on a firm footing even after the rupee-ruble arrangement ceased to operate.

Referring to his two-day visit to Tajikistan beginning November 14, Vajpayee said in the statement that it was India's closest neighbour in Central Asia. "We share the common values of faith in democracy and secularism. We have had fruitful cooperation in recent years both bilaterally and on regional matters," he said.

The prime minister said that he was going there on a return visit as Tajikistan President E A Rakhmanov had visited India in May 2001. "I look forward to renewing contacts with the Tajik leadership exchanging views on matters of bilateral interests as well as international and regional issues," he said.

On his visit to Syria, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 15 years, Vajpayee said in the statement that New Delhi saw Syria as an important partner in West Asia. Describing his visit to Damascus as "timely and important", he said he was looking forward to detailed discussions with President Bashar al-Assad on important bilateral and international issues.

"My visit will also give us useful opportunity of exchanging views on recent developments in the West Asian region," he added.

The prime minister is accompanied by External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and senior officials.