No talks with Pakistan this year
THE Indo-Pak engagement, which was expected to be held before the year end, will have to wait.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: THE Indo-Pak engagement, which was expected to be held before the year end, will have to wait.
External affairs minister S M Krishna on Wednesday said that since India’s diplomatic calendar was crowded with important visits by foreign dignitaries, the meeting between him and Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi will take place only early next year.
“I have invited Mr Qureshi to visit India. The dates will be worked out through diplomatic channels,” Mr Krishna told a group of editors here.
Several high-profile visits are lined up for November and December. US president Barack Obama is scheduled to visit India in November and French president Nicholas Sarkozy and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev will be here in December.
The decision to postpone the Indo-Pak engagement comes on the back of clear signs of unease in the government over Islamabad’s bellicosity.
Although India made efforts to move beyond the rancour caused by Mr Qureshi’s attempts to abandon the mutually-agreed agenda and take discussions to a maximalist level, Pakistan has not been reciprocating the gesture.
Mr Krishna rebuked Mr Qureshi for raking up Kashmir at UNGA. He had also called off a planned interaction with Mr Qureshi. But he praised Islamabad for supporting India’s candidature for the non-permanent seat in the Security Council. “We spoke to Pakistan for voting for us. We approached Pakistan at various levels. On this issue, there was good rapport.”
External affairs minister S M Krishna on Wednesday said that since India’s diplomatic calendar was crowded with important visits by foreign dignitaries, the meeting between him and Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi will take place only early next year.
“I have invited Mr Qureshi to visit India. The dates will be worked out through diplomatic channels,” Mr Krishna told a group of editors here.
Several high-profile visits are lined up for November and December. US president Barack Obama is scheduled to visit India in November and French president Nicholas Sarkozy and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev will be here in December.
The decision to postpone the Indo-Pak engagement comes on the back of clear signs of unease in the government over Islamabad’s bellicosity.
Although India made efforts to move beyond the rancour caused by Mr Qureshi’s attempts to abandon the mutually-agreed agenda and take discussions to a maximalist level, Pakistan has not been reciprocating the gesture.
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Mr Krishna rebuked Mr Qureshi for raking up Kashmir at UNGA. He had also called off a planned interaction with Mr Qureshi. But he praised Islamabad for supporting India’s candidature for the non-permanent seat in the Security Council. “We spoke to Pakistan for voting for us. We approached Pakistan at various levels. On this issue, there was good rapport.”
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