Share

Sartaj Aziz invites PM Modi to Pakistan for SAARC Summit

She also said it was not possible to not discuss Pathankot during her meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Aziz.

Advertisement

Highlighting the importance of connectivity in meeting goals of growth, Swaraj said connectivity was central to development and would determine how the goals of growth, employment, and prosperity were met.

The foreign ministers hoped that prime ministers of two nation would hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in the United States on March 31.

Pakistan would send a probe team for the task and a joint team would begin investigations on March 28, she added.

Earlier in the day, both Aziz and Swaraj met over breakfast at the Fishtail hotel on Fewa river here ahead of the 37th SAARC Council of Ministers Meeting.

Sources said during the meeting between Swaraj and Aziz, Pakistan asked whether March 27 works out for India. “But the Pathankot attack became a hurdle”, he said, complimenting the cooperation on both sides after that.

His remarks came when he was talking to media after a meeting with the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Inter-Summit Ministerial Meeting in Pokhara City of Nepal on Thursday.

The two dignitaries also held a one-to-one meeting on Thursday evening, the first after the Jan 2 terrorist attack on the Pathankot air base, and bilateral issues will be part of the discussion, the ANI reported.

“We have moved forward on unilateral initiatives that we announced at the last Summit for sharing Indian scientific and technological progress with the SAARC community”, she said.

On the occasion, Sartaj said that the meeting with his Indian counterpart was held in cordial atmosphere.

Advertisement

Aziz reportedly admitted that attack on Pathankot had created tension between India and Pakistan, but also stresed that the dialogue should be intensified.

Sushma to raise Pathankot issue with Sartaj Aziz