New Delhi, June 17: Marking their second meeting in four months, Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will hold two-day talks in Islamabad from June 23.
The talks are expected to be focussed on Jammu and Kashmir, peace and security and confidence building measures.
“Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet in Islamabad on June 23-24 to discuss peace and security, including CBMs; Jammu and Kashmir, and promotion of friendly exchanges,” External Affairs Ministry said in a statement here Friday.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will be meeting her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir for the second time since February when they held talks in Thimphu in Bhutan on the sidelines of SAARC Ministerial conference.
During that meeting, the two sides had agreed to resume their comprehensive dialogue on all bilateral issues to resolve outstanding issues in a constructive and forward-looking manner, two years after India put on hold the Composite Dialogue process with Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
On Monday, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the two Foreign Secretaries will discuss all bilateral issues.
The Foreign Secretaries will also take “stock of the progress made by India and Pakistan during the series of parleys held at official levels on various issues such as terrorism, water, trade and commerce.”
In February, it was decided that meetings at the level of respective Secretaries will be convened on counter-terrorism (including progress on Mumbai attack trial), humanitarian issues, peace and security, including CBMs, Jammu and Kashmir, promotion of friendly exchanges, Siachen, economic issues, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project and Sir Creek (at the level of Additional Secretaries/Surveyors General).
Pertinently, Pakistan Thursday said that fresh evidence regarding the 2008 Mumbai attacks should not be discussed at the upcoming talks between the Foreign Secretaries, and insisted that the agenda should be the same as agreed to by the two sides in Thimphu.
“The agenda for the upcoming meeting is very clearly the three issues that have been indicated – peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and friendly exchanges,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said at a press briefing yesterday.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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