New Delhi:
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will travel to Pakistan in mid-July for formal talks at the foreign ministers level.
This was agreed upon today in a telephone conversation between Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart SM Qureshi, who made the call. The two foreign ministers decided to meet on July 15. "The date of meeting was decided keeping in view our calendars and commitments," Qureshi said after the 25-minute conversation.
Krishna's visit will come soon after Home Minister P Chidambaram has made a trip to Pakistan on June 26 for a SAARC Home Ministers' conference. Qureshi said the Indian Home Minister would meet with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the SAARC meeting.
The Foreign Secretaries of the two countries too will meet on the sidelines of the SAARC meet in Islamabad to decide on the agenda of the Foreign Ministers' meeting a few days later.
Qureshi said both sides were "comfortable with the structure in place."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, who met on the sidelines of SAARC Summit in Thimphu recently, had asked their External Affairs Ministers and Foreign Secretaries to meet as soon as possible to discuss ways to reduce "trust deficit".
The two ministers were expected to talk on Friday last, but could not do so as Qureshi was busy with other engagements.
On Monday, Qureshi had pitched for "uninterrupted dialogue" between the two countries.
This was agreed upon today in a telephone conversation between Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart SM Qureshi, who made the call. The two foreign ministers decided to meet on July 15. "The date of meeting was decided keeping in view our calendars and commitments," Qureshi said after the 25-minute conversation.
Krishna's visit will come soon after Home Minister P Chidambaram has made a trip to Pakistan on June 26 for a SAARC Home Ministers' conference. Qureshi said the Indian Home Minister would meet with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the SAARC meeting.
The Foreign Secretaries of the two countries too will meet on the sidelines of the SAARC meet in Islamabad to decide on the agenda of the Foreign Ministers' meeting a few days later.
Qureshi said both sides were "comfortable with the structure in place."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, who met on the sidelines of SAARC Summit in Thimphu recently, had asked their External Affairs Ministers and Foreign Secretaries to meet as soon as possible to discuss ways to reduce "trust deficit".
The two ministers were expected to talk on Friday last, but could not do so as Qureshi was busy with other engagements.
On Monday, Qureshi had pitched for "uninterrupted dialogue" between the two countries.
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