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Q.536 Resumption of peace talks with Pakistan
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.536
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2011
SHRI DHIRAJ PRASAD SAHU:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether India and Pakistan agree to resume peace talks; and
(b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof?
ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)
(a) & (b) In pursuance of the mandate given by the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, following their meeting in Thimphu in April, 2010 and the meeting of the Minister of External Affairs of India and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan in Islamabad in July, 2010, the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan met in Thimphu on February 6, 2011, to chart the way forward in India-Pakistan relations. The Foreign Secretaries agreed on the need for a constructive dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues. The two sides agreed on the following:
(i) They agreed to resume dialogue on all issues following the spirit of the Thimphu meeting between the two Prime Ministers.
(ii) The Foreign Minister of Pakistan will visit India by July 2011 to review progress in the dialogue process with his counterpart. This will be preceded by a meeting of the two Foreign Secretaries.
(iii) They agreed that prior to the visit of the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, meetings at the level of respective Secretaries will be convened on Counter-terrorism (including progress on Mumbai trial); Humanitarian issues; Peace & Security, including CBMs; Jammu & Kashmir; promotion of friendly exchanges; Siachen; Economic issues; Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project; and Sir Creek (at the level of Additional Secretaries/Surveyors General).
Talks on the various issues, as agreed at Thimphu, were held during the period March-June 2011. The discussions contributed to a better understanding of each other’s position on these issues.
The Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan met again on July 26, 2011 in New Delhi prior to the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries. They reviewed the progress in the talks on various subjects under the resumed dialogue process and preparation for the Ministerial level meeting held on July 27, 2011.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan visited India from July 26-28, 2011 and held discussions with EAM in New Delhi on July 27, 2011. The Ministers reviewed the status of bilateral relations, expressed satisfaction on the holding of various Secretary level meetings and affirmed the importance of carrying forward the dialogue process with a view to resolving peacefully all outstanding issues. They agreed that terrorism poses a continuing threat to peace and security and reiterated the firm and undiluted commitment of the two countries to fight and eliminate this scourge in all its forms and manifestations and in this regard agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism to bring those responsible for terror crimes to justice. The Ministers decided to resume the work of the India-Pakistan Joint Commission. The Ministers agreed to convene separate expert level meetings on Nuclear and Conventional CBMs, in Islamabad in September 2011. The Ministers also agreed to the continuation of the dialogue process and to convene a series of Secretary level meetings on all issues, prior to the visit of EAM to Pakistan in the first half of 2012.