Thimphu (Bhutan), February 6
Putting behind the bitter experience of last July, India and Pakistan tonight appeared to have made a headway in bringing on track the stalled dialogue process as they agreed to carry it forward to resolve all outstanding issues in a constructive and forward-looking manner.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir, who met here for about 90 minutes, agreed that positive and cordial relations were in a mutual interest of both countries and they needed to work in this direction. A common press statement issued by both sides said the two Foreign Secretaries had met in pursuance of the mandate given by their prime ministers following their meeting in Thimphu in April, 2010, and the meeting of the foreign ministers in July last year in Islamabad and carry that process forward.

“The foreign secretaries had useful and frank discussions on the steps required to be taken in this context,” Ministry of External Affairs' spokesman Vishnu Prakash said. “They agreed on the need for a constructive dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues. They affirmed the need to carry forward the dialogue process,” he said, adding they would now brief their respective governments on their discussions.

During their talks in Thimphu on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit last April, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani had said the foreign ministers and the foreign secretaries would work to reduce the trust deficit plaguing the relationship.

Sources said Rao and Bashir, who held an informal meeting last night in the run up to tonight's talks, had agreed that the dialogue process should be carried forward in a forward-looking manner. At the meeting, the Indian side maintained that it was open to discussing all issues in a conducive atmosphere, they said.

The next milestone after today's talks will be the visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to India this year, dates for which will be worked out.

The meeting, on the sidelines of the SAARC foreign secretaries meeting, came six months after the talks between the foreign ministers of the countries ended on a bitter note in Islambad.

Even after the failed July talks, the two sides have been maintaining contacts through diplomatic channels and their leaders have met on the sidelines of some multilateral events. A day before the meeting, India and Pakistan exchanged barbs over the issue of the Samjhauta blasts and the Mumbai terror attacks, but the two foreign secretaries chose to set a positive tone hours ahead of their talks. — PTI