New Delhi: India and Pakistan have agreed to take steps to restore ties which had been severed following the 26/11 terror attacks
The foreign secretaries of the two countries are expected to meet later this month as a part of a new confidence building exercise.
Pakistani High Commissioner Shahid Malik met Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao for about 40 minutes on Friday in New Delhi.
"We discussed the possible agenda, dates. I will revert to my government. Dialogue is the only way forward. We welcome India's proposal," said Malik.
India seemed to be on the same page as well.
"We discussed about forthcoming talks. We await Pakistan's response on dates," said MEA spokesperson Vishnu Prakash.
Sources say India has proposed two sets of dates and Pakistan will revert on soon.
A broad agreement has been reached that the two foreign secretaries will focus on rebuilding confidence post 26/11.
On the agenda will be ways to enhance co-operation in counter-terrorism, enhancing cross LoC and bilateral trade, enhancing travel linkages like new buses and train services, boosting tourism flows to each other's countries, ensuring sanctity of the ceasefire, humanitarian issues such as those on prisoner treatment and facilitating release of fishermen.
So India and Pakistan are set to embark on a new innings.
What is clear is that talks will happen sooner, than later, possibly even this month.
Both sides have agreed to junk the old composite dialogue format and talks, to start with, will focus on humanitarian issues and confidence building measures, leaving tricky issues like the Kashmir dispute to much later.
Source : ibnlive.in.com