ISLAMABAD, Nov 12: The upcoming Indo-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks pose a major challenge for the foreign offices of the two countries to practically demonstrate the constructive spirit that prevailed in Havana.
This was stated by Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri while talking to Dawn on Sunday about the expectations from the two-day peace dialogue that begins in New Delhi on Tuesday.
“We hope that as a result of this meeting we will in the spirit of Havana Declaration see narrowing down of divergences and building on convergences,” he said pointing out that it would be the first meeting after the Sept 16, 2006 joint declaration in which exchange of ‘useful ideas’ on the Jammu and Kashmir issue had publicly been acknowledged.
He termed as “act of statesmanship” the decision by President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Havana to resume the disrupted dialogue process.Asserting that Pakistan had always approached the peace dialogue with a positive frame of mind, he held the assurance that it would continue to do so. “We are very serious about the composite dialogue and our record speaks for it,” he said.
He underscored that while Pakistan favoured the composite dialogue, to carry it forward and ensure that it was not perceived as an exercise in futility, tangible progress was necessary. “This is essential to keep the morale of the public in place. If much progress will not be achieved then the pro-peace forces on both sides will be demoralised and those not in favour of peace will be strengthened,” Mr Kasuri noted.
He said at the forthcoming talks that would be followed by the meeting of the foreign ministers, the foreign secretaries would look at ways progress could be achieved in areas where forward movement had been scant.
Asked when the meeting of the foreign ministers was likely take place, Mr Kasuri said decision in this regard would be taken at the foreign secretary-level meeting.
Regarding his trip to India later this month, Mr Kasuri made it clear that it was a “purely private visit” and therefore he had not asked for any official meetings.
Asked if he was likely to meet his new Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee at the wedding function which would be attended by many ruling Congress party leaders, he simply said: “Let’s see who all are there.”
However, when pressed further on whether there was a possibility of a chance meeting with his Indian counterpart, Mr Kasuri did not rule it out.
The foreign ministers appear to be in touch and have already exchanged letters. According to informed diplomatic sources Foreign Minister Kasuri recently received a letter from his Indian counterpart. While the exact contents of the letter are not known, the context was Indo-Pakistan relations and the tone generally positive, it is learnt.
Earlier, Mr Kasuri had sent him a letter congratulating him on his appointment as the new external affairs minister.
Mr Kasuri and Mr Mukherjee had a brief interaction last year in April during President Musharraf’s visit to India.