ISLAMABAD, July 18: The new Indian High Commissioner-designate to Pakistan, Mr Shiv Shankar Menon, who arrived here on Tuesday, met Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar at the Foreign Office on Thursday.

The foreign secretary welcomed the Indian High Commissioner who stayed with him for about 30 minutes.

“It was just a courtesy call and Mr Menon wanted to deliver his credentials,” Dawn was told afterwards.

Mr Khokhar and Mr Menon already know each other as both have served in their respective diplomatic missions in Beijing at the same time.

The Indian High Commissioner, a career diplomat, has a reputation of being a solid professional and is widely respected in the diplomatic circles. In India he is rated as one of the best officers in the ministry of external affairs.

On Friday, the British High Commissioner, Mr Mark Lyall Grant, also met the foreign secretary.

“Their meeting went on for about an hour and they discussed issues of mutual concern,” was how one official put it.