Saarc meet: Ahead of bilateral talks, Swaraj, Aziz dine together

The two foreign affairs ministers will hold official dialogues with each other where Pathankot attack is likely to be raised.

Ahead of their bilateral talks which are slated for today on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ministerial meeting here, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz joined for breakfast and were seen exchanging pleasantries.

Both the leaders were seen sitting next to each other on the breakfast table and talking as other dignitaries and officials joined them.

Swaraj and Aziz will hold official dialogues with each other where the January 2016 Pathankot Air Base terror attack is likely to be raised.

The Foreign Secretaries of all SAARC countries on Wednesday discussed ways to implement plans to improve connectivity, counter terrorism, and other issues.

Swaraj along with her counterparts from SAARC countries will discuss the progress made on the programmes approved at the last summit of the regional association at Kathmandu in 2014.

Aziz earlier told the media earlier that he is ready to discuss anything his Indian counterpart wanted to."The meeting is of course to hand over the invitation for the SAARC Summit, but anything that she ( Sushma Swaraj) wants to discuss, we will discuss," said Aziz.

On being asked about other discussions like the recent Pathankot terror in India's airbase, Aziz evaded the question.

Aziz, however, said that the Pakistan 's special investigation team will soon be visiting India to probe the attack.

Swaraj is expected to raise the Pathankot terror attack with Aziz during the meeting on the sidelines of SAARC.

This development comes amid the stalled Foreign Secretary-level talks between both nations following the impasse over the probe of the January 2016 Pathankot Air Base terror attack.

Both the Foreign Ministers met last night during a dinner hosted by Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli ahead of a meeting of SAARC foreign ministers.

The two exchanged pleasantries and sat next to each other during the dinner in the resort town located 200 km northwest of the capital Kathmandu.