14 July 2004	Wednesday	25 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

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ISLAMABAD, July 13: Pakistan on Tuesday announced a schedule for talks with India on six of the eight subjects on the composite dialogue framework.

Pakistan and India have already discussed peace and security and Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on 27-28 June as part of the composite dialogue process initiated between the two countries after a meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and the then Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the sidelines of the Saarc summit in Islamabad in January.

A press statement issued by the foreign ministry said that Pakistan and India had agreed to a schedule of meetings beginning with discussions on the Wullar Barrage on July 28-29 when the diplomats of the two sides would meet in Islamabad.

The second round of talks, to be held in New Delhi on August 3-4, would discuss friendly exchange of artists, journalists and parliamentarians. The contentious issue of Siachen would feature in the talks to be held on August 5-6 in New Delhi when the two sides would attempt to break the ice over their dispute involving the world's highest peak.

Another round of talks in New Delhi on August 5-6 would try to resolve the Sir Creek dispute. The fifth round of talks under the composite dialogue framework would discuss terrorism and drug trafficking in Islamabad on August 10-11.

The sixth round will be held in Lahore on August 11-12 to discuss economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries. The statement said the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India would meet on August 25th to review the overall progress of the talks. This would be preceded by a one-day meeting of the foreign secretaries on August 24, the statement said.

INDIAN OFFICIAL: An Indian foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday the countries had agreed on a schedule of meetings to discuss six issues, ranging from water-sharing dispute to the military standoff on the Siachen Glacier between July and August, Jawed Naqvi adds from New Delhi.

These issues formed part of the composite dialogue process agreed to by the foreign secretaries of the two countries during a meeting in Islamabad in February.

Indian Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Kasuri have meet twice in the past month, first on the sidelines of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue conference in China, and then during an Asean Regional Forum meeting in Jakarta.

Both are expected to meet on August 25 in New Delhi for a final review of the talks held so far under their January 6 resolve. The foreign secretaries of the two countries would meet in New Delhi a day before the ministers to set the agenda for the crucial review.