Minister in Islamabad, to meet Sharif, Sartaj today
Minister in Islamabad, to meet Sharif, Sartaj today
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday evening with a message of friendship and hope, confirmed that she would discuss the bilateral relationship at her meetings on Wednesday with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz.
Ms Swaraj, who is here on a two-day visit primarily to attend a multilateral conference on Afghanistan, said the relationship between India and Pakistan should be a lot better. “I have come with the message that ties between the two countries should be good and move forward,” she said soon after her arrival.
Ms Swaraj will hold talks with Mr Aziz, her Pakistani counterpart, and call on Prime Minister Sharif on the sidelines of the conference on Wednesday. The minister, who is accompanied by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar, is due to fly back to New Delhi on Wednesday evening after just around 24 hours in Pakistan.
Mr Aziz said he was expecting a “good and positive” outcome from Wednesday’s meeting and both sides should take forward the engagement to improve ties. “My expectations are good and positive from talks tomorrow,” Mr Aziz told PTI.
When asked about Ms Swaraj’s comment that she has come with a message that ties between the two countries should be “good and move forward”, he said: “My message is also that we should take our engagement forward and improve ties.”
Her visit is the first significant engagement between the two countries since the meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif in Ufa, Russia, in July this year. On Sunday, the national security advisers of the two countries, accompanied by the two foreign secretaries, met in Bangkok soon after an ice-breaking brief interaction between the two PMs in Paris on the sidelines of the global climate change conference.
Ms Swaraj further said: “The Heart of Asia conference is very important for India because it is associated with Afghanistan. That is why I have come here to participate.
Since it is happening in Pakistan it is necessary and appropriate for me to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and hold talks with my counterpart Sartaj Aziz to talk about improving the bilateral ties and take them forward.”
Sources have said that the two countries have informally also agreed to a cricket bilateral series, but this is yet to be announced officially. Along with the bilateral series, that may be held in Sri Lanka, confirmation is expected soon that Pakistan will participate in next year’s World Twenty20 in India, officials here said.
