M A I N   N E W S

Menon to meet Riaz today

Islamabad, July 16
Asserting that certain “positive” developments have taken place between India and Pakistan, India’s new High Commissioner Shivshankar Menon today said that he would be focussing on taking forward the peace process initiated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

After taking over the charge of the High Commission, Mr Menon told Indian reporters here that he would be meeting Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokar informally tomorrow to discuss the normalisation process initiated by the two countries in the past three months.

Mr Menon, who is expected to present his credentials to President Pervez Musharraf later this month, said in the coming months he would be focussing on building a relationship between the two countries to take forward the process initiated by the Indian Prime Minister.

He said certain positive developments had taken place between the two countries in the aftermath of Mr Vajpayee’s initiative. “We will be looking for some more improvements”.

Mr Menon would also be holding a formal meeting with the chief of protocol of the Pakistan Foreign Office tomorrow.

The High Commissioner said in coming days he planned to hold extensive consultations with Pakistani officials. “I want to meet as many people from various walks of life as possible”, he added.

Mr Menon said he was warmly received at Wagah border when he crossed over to Pakistan. “I was well-received with all due courtesies”, he said. Pakistan today agreed to hold talks with India on the resumption of air links, the Foreign Ministry said.

“Pakistan has agreed to host experts-level talks between the civil aviation authorities of Pakistan and India to consider all aspects for resumption of air links between the two countries,” it said.

The proposal has been communicated to the Government of India, it said.

Air links between the countries were suspended after an attack on Indian Parliament in December, 2001, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants. — AFP, PTI