New Delhi, May 10: External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will visit Islamabad on July 15 for talks with his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi to work out the modalities for carrying forward the dialogue process to discuss outstanding issues in an atmosphere of mutual trust.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will visit Islamabad on July 15 for talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi to bridge the trust deficit and work out modalities for carrying forward the dialogue process.
Prior to this meeting, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will meet her counterpart Salman Bashir in Islamabad on June 26 on the sidelines of the SAARC Home Ministers’ meeting. She will accompany Home Minister P Chidambaram for the SAARC meet. The two Foreign Secretaries will finalise the agenda for the Krishna-Qureshi meeting.
The decision on the July 15 meeting was taken during a 25-minute telephonic conversation on Tuesday between Krishna and Qureshi who described their upcoming talks as “an important step forward” in bilateral ties.
The Pakistani minister, who made the call, extended the invitation to Krishna who said he looked forward to the talks.
“The Foreign Minister of Pakistan has invited me to visit Islamabad on July 15. So I am planning to visit Islamabad for my talks with Foreign Minister Qureshi,” he told reporters.
“I am looking forward to these talks and let us hope that these talks will help in bringing our countries closer together … let us hope that our efforts will be fruitful,” he said.
Krishna said he and Qureshi will work out the methodology to carry forward the dialogue between the two countries so that all outstanding issues could be discussed in an atmosphere of “mutual trust”.
He said the Prime Ministers of both the countries had after their meeting in Thimpu last month asked the Foreign Ministers and Foreign Secretaries to meet as soon as possible and discuss ways to reduce “trust deficit”.
On Thursday, Krishna had said in Rajya Sabha that India had decided to have a dialogue as there had been a “transformation” in ties with assurance coming at the level of the Pakistan Prime Minister that India’s “core concern” with regard to terrorism would be addressed adequately.
In Islamabad, Qureshi on Tuesday made it clear that the two sides were going into the talks with an open mind and positive approach and asserted that the terror acts will not be allowed to impede the dialogue process.
“Trust deficit will be bridged by talks during which we will discuss outstanding issues,” he said.
On the prospects of any major breakthrough during the talks, he said, “I will not create any false hopes. I am an optimist yet a realist. I recognise the challenges, I recognise the difficulties. I recognise the trust deficit. It is an uphill task.
“Don’t expect miracles overnight. Good thing is that on both sides we have democracies and democracies believe in negotiations, talks and parleys,” he said adding “we had a very good discussion and we will build on it. There is no quick fixes.”
His response came on being asked about the two sides reportedly having come close to a deal on issues related to Siachen and Sir Creek during the earlier dialogue process.
Qureshi said he would visit Delhi after his Islamabad meeting with Krishna for the next round of talks.
The minister said he had begun consultations with the civil and military leadership to forge a national consensus on resolving outstanding issues with India.
“I believe that all stakeholders have to be on the same page for a result-oriented and meaningful dialogue with India,” Qureshi said.
He said he would be seeking guidance from Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on the substantive issues.
He said the approach of Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Gilani was “very productive” and their interaction in Thimphu on the margins of the SAARC summit was “frank, cordial and forward looking”.
“We will discuss all issues of concern to India and Pakistan. There was no discussion on structure. I am presuming both sides are comfortable. Structure is in place,” Qureshi said.
The composite dialogue process covering Kashmir and other outstanding issues was stalled in the wake of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
The Singh-Gilani meeting on the sidelines of SAARC Summit in Thimphu was the first substantive dialogue between the two countries since they met in Sharm-el-Shaikh in Egypt in July last year.
Bringing in thaw in bilateral relations, Singh and Gilani in Thimphu had agreed to resume dialogue at the level of Foreign Ministers soon that could lead to parleys on all outstanding issues like terrorism, Kashmir and Siachen.
The two leaders had entrusted the Foreign Ministers and Foreign Secretaries with the responsibility of restoring confidence and trust in the relations that could pave the way for substantive dialogue on outstanding issues of mutual concern.
Singh had then conveyed India’s deep and continuing concern over the fact that 26/11 mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed was being allowed to roam freely and engage in language and communications that are certainly not conducive to the atmosphere of peace and stability.
Gilani had assured Singh that his government was making all efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks and not to allow Pakistani soil to be used for terrorism against India.
–Agencies