18 October 2004	Monday	03 Ramazan 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: Pakistan and India are likely to announce this week dates for the next round of bilateral talks starting next month and ending in December.

Diplomatic sources told Dawn that Pakistan had proposed a seven-meeting schedule to India on Oct 7 following which India made counter proposals with specific dates.

"The foreign ministries of the two countries are currently in the process of finalizing the dates and are expected to make a formal announcement in this regard soon," a diplomatic source said Sunday.

Indications from both the sides are that the announcement may be made this week or by the latest next week.

The proposed meeting schedule includes expert-level talks on conventional and nuclear confidence-building measures; meeting between Railways authorities on the Munnabao-Khokhrapar rail link; meeting between the Indian Coast Guards and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency; Joint Survey of the boundary pillars in the Sir Creek area; meeting between narcotics control authorities; meeting on commencement of Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service, and a meeting between foreign secretaries on peace and security and Jammu and Kashmir.

According to sources, the second round of bilateral talks is expected to kick-off with a meeting of experts on conventional and nuclear CBMs in November and conclude with the foreign secretaries-level talks in December.