ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri has said India and Pakistan were close to reaching an agreement to resolve Siachen issue and suggested a “breakthrough” on this was expected next month to enable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan.
He said meetings of foreign secretaries and foreign ministers of the two countries in Delhi next month would hopefully achieve a breakthrough to enable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Pakistan.
In an interview to Press Trust of India (PTI) on Sunday, Mr Kasuri said he would visit New Delhi next month to attend the wedding of the daughter of Panchayati Raj Mani Shanker Ayer during which he hopes to meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee who took over as the new external affairs minister.
“As the foreign minister of Pakistan, I know we are very close to an agreement. I will not go into details. It depends on political will and I hope that the prime minister and the (new) foreign minister of India will show that political will,” Kasuri said. The foreign secretaries, who are meeting in Delhi on Nov 14-15, will work out dates for a formal meeting between the two, Kasuri said.
Mr Kasuri said he would not attend the meeting being called by India on Afghanistan to be held in Delhi on Nov 18-19 and instead, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar would attend it.
On the issue of backchannel talks being held to resolve Siachen dispute, Kasuri said: “I said my understanding as a foreign minister is that we are close to an agreement. What is now needed is political will. I can not go into details”.
Asked whether a breakthrough is expected at foreign secretaries meeting on Nov 14-15 to review the composite dialogue process followed by foreign ministers review meeting, Mr Kasuri said: “I will tell you what we will try and do. I can speak for Pakistan. We want that Indian prime minister should be able to pay a visit to Pakistan.
“These high-level visits are important and do not ever underestimate them. People commit that mistake. That is where the human element comes in. High-level visits are important,” he said.—Online
