NEW DELHI, June 7: There is no plan for any meeting of India and Pakistan Foreign Secretaries in the near future as was presumed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif’s meeting, according to official indications.
A meeting between the top foreign ministry officials of the two countries was thought to be in the offing after the statement made by Mr Sharif in his media statement following his meeting with
Mr Modi.
However, in reply to the question from reporters as to when the two secretaries are going to meet as decided by the two countries, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Akbaruddin sought to underline that what had been decided was that the two foreign secretaries would “remain in touch.” “If I could recollect what she (Foreign Secretary) said, she said it was agreed that both the Foreign Secretaries will remain in touch – you could please try and recollect what she said – and she also explained what that would mean. It is available on the record,” he said.
The questioner while observing that Prime Ministers of both the countries had been meeting on the sidelines of UN General Assembly
in New York in September, had asked when the foreign secretaries would be meeting in preparation for that. Mr Akbaruddin said, “Between now and September there is much time. We will keep you informed of how those developments take place and how they keep in touch.”
Mr Modi will be going to Washington in September for a summit with US President Barack Obama, and was also expected to go to New York to attend Climate Change Summit coinciding with the UNGA session.
Mr Sharif had come here on a two-day visit to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Mr Modi on May 26. On the next day the two leaders had held a meeting lasting about 50 minutes during which they touched upon all outstanding issues. The meeting which had been described as fruitful by both had given the hope for early resumption of peace dialogue between the two countries which had been suspended in the wake of 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Later some initiative to resume the process suffered a setback following the Pakistani attack on the border and beheading of an Indian soldier.
(UNI)
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