ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan exchanged maps of Sir Creek marked with their respective claims on Thursday, the first day of technical-level talks on the contentious issue of the boundary on the Rann of Kutch estuary.

It is expected that as both sides are now working on the basis of the same map after a joint survey of the creek earlier this year, they will now be able to understand each other's claims better.

Surveyor-General of India Major General M. Gopal Rao, who is leading an eight-member Indian delegation, and Additional Defence Secretary Rear Admiral Tanveer Faiz, who is leading the Pakistan delegation, also exchanged maps with their respective demarcations of the maritime boundary.

"Many convergences"

Indians officials who were involved in the talks said "many convergences" were apparent between the two sides in this second set of maps.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence said, "the talks were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere."

It said that both sides deliberated upon the issue at length and presented their respective stance on the matter.

"The meeting expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved during the course of discussion," it said.

The Indian delegation also called on Secretary Defence Kamran Rasool.

At the December meeting on Sir Creek, India and Pakistan "agreed to verify the outermost points of coastlines of both countries during the joint survey with regards to the equidistance method."

Also known as the "seaward method", it means that leaving out the disputed creek, the two sides determine a median line, every point of which is equidistant from the nearest points on their respective landmass.

Talks are to continue on Friday. The officials said the delegations would explain the basis for their respective claims of the boundary on the 96-km creek. India claims the boundary is in the middle of this strip of water, while Pakistan claims it is on the eastern bank of the creek.

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