NEW DELHI : Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, whose relationship is key to efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, held their first official talks since the 2008 attacks on Mumbai on Thursday and agreed to stay in touch.
India blames Pakistan-based militants for the Mumbai attacks which killed at least 166 people and both sides are battling for influence in Afghanistan on Pakistan\'s western border.
The United States sees improved India-Pakistan relations as crucial so lslamabad, not having to worry about its eastern border with India, can focus on fighting the Taliban on its west.
The nuclear rivals will \"remain in touch\" to build trust with each other, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said after talks with her Pakistani counterpart, Salman Bashir.
Rao did not say if there would be a next round of talks.
The two met in a former princely palace in a heavily guarded New Delhi neighborhood that also houses the parliament and the presidential palace.
Rao, wearing a black and red sari, and Bashir in a dark suit shook hands in front of the camera before walking into a sprawling room for a one-on-one meeting followed by delegation-level talks.
India broke off official talks after the Mumbai attacks, saying dialogue could resume only if Pakistan acted against militants on its soil.
Re-engaging Pakistan was a politically fraught move for New Delhi, given strong Indian public opinion against talks, but a nudge from Washington and dwindling diplomatic options saw India reaching out.
Expectations from the talks were modest, and a simple pledge to continue the dialogue may be the best officials can hope for.
The two countries have squabbled over which subjects should be covered in the talks -- India wants to focus on terrorism while Pakistan eyes the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that has been the cause of two of their three wars.
\"Terrorism is a regional, global concern. It\'s our concern as well,\" Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters shortly before talks began.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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