This was the first meeting between Modi and Sharif since they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Russia’s Ufa in July this year.
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The talks that lasted for four hours was attended by the foreign secretaries of the two countries. “We support any and all positive steps India and Pakistan can take to reduce tensions, engage in dialogue, and forge closer relations”, a State Department spokesperson said”. In Bangkok, however, the agenda included, besides terror, composite dialogue subjects like J&K.
Issues related to peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, including tranquility along Line of Control (LoC) came under discussion during the meeting, the statement said, adding “it was agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement”. The minister will also be accompanied by her Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who has visited Pakistan earlier.
The Chief Minister said there was a need to reduce the trust deficit for sustained and meaningful dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad. “So we are awaiting that now”, Shahryar told reporters. On August 22, while addressing the media on the disintegrating NSA talks, she had stated: “Talks will not take place in a third country. It can strengthen the relationship between the two countries”, Dulat told KNS over phone from New Delhi.
The External Affairs Minister will call on Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and meet his Adviser on Foreign Affairs Aziz on the sidelines of the “Heart of Asia” regional conference on Afghanistan on Wednesday. Let’s wait and watch Mrs Swaraj’s doings in Islamabad for further updates!
Sushma Swaraj’s will be the first ministerial-level visit from India to Pakistan since the visit of her predecessor S.M. Krishna in 2012. “It can wide open the doors for an India-Pakistan dialogue”.
However, experts believe that the Modi government is playing by the ear. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan too are frosty. Finally, the continuing absence of cricketing ties between the two great sub-continental rivals is making India – the undisputed global driver of the game – seem churlish.
Sunday’s meeting of NSAs of the two countries in Bangkok followed the impromptu meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Paris on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties (CoP) 21 climate summit on November 30. “Pakistan needs to do more on that front”.
“But it is a fact his Pakistan policy has been flawed from the start”.
India must know that the Pakistani army will remain a key determinant in talks, hence New Delhi must never hesitate from opening direct channels of communication with Rawalpindi GHQ.
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“Terrorist attacks are going on throughout and India itself says that Pakistan is behind them”.
