The Hindu : Front Page : India-Pakistan peace process to resume this week

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Monday, May 19, 2008
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India-Pakistan peace process to resume this week

Special Correspondent

Terrorism issue will also be raised

First high-level contact with Islamabad after elections
“We are going with a positive message”

NEW DELHI: Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee preceded by Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon will travel to Islamabad this week to review and revive the peace process with Pakistan.

As part of the talks, India will also raise the issue of terrorism with the view that dialogue would help address this issue more meaningfully.

“We hope to restore the process and work to contribute meaningfully to the improvement of relations between India and Pakistan. India is ready to move the process forward ,” Mr. Menon told journalists here on Sunday.

Cooperation

The talks would address issues concerning Jammu & Kashmir and trying to resolve them and building a cooperative relationship in the area of trade and travel.

While Mr. Menon will hold talks on Tuesday, Mr. Mukherjee will meet the top leadership the next day.

“We are trying to arrange meetings for the Foreign Minister with Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, the President and the Prime Minister, said a highly placed government source.

Apart from reviewing the fourth round of composite dialogue and launching the next round, this would be the first high-level contact with the Pakistan government after the elections and restoration of democracy.

“We are going in with the message that we are ready to continue and carry the process forward. If you look at the peace talks of the past four years, we have achieved quite a bit. There has been considerable progress towards normalisation of relations. The ceasefire has held by and large and there has been improvement in the overall atmosphere,” said the source.

Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Menon would also sound out Pakistan’s new leaders, trying to determine who was devising policy.

“We would like to see how ready are our Pakistani counterparts. We are going with a positive message. And we have seen statements on India-Pakistan ties by the leadership. Some were good and some were not so good. We need to know the position formally and officially,” he said.

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