Indian secretary arrives

Published December 31, 2003

ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: Indian Foreign Secretary Shashank said on Tuesday on arrival in Pakistan for a regional summit meeting that bilateral talks with Pakistan can be held after Pakistan met India’s demands.

Shashank, who uses only one name, told journalists on arrival at Wagah border crossing that Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was “likely” to meet Pakistani leaders at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit being held in Islamabad from Jan 4 to 6.

Pakistan is keen for bilateral talks with India but India refuses to discuss their 55-year-old dispute over Kashmir until Pakistan stopped its alleged “cross-border terrorism”.

Shashank said fighting terrorism was on the agenda of the SAARC summit and called for cooperation in the fight.—dpa

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