Foreign Secretary calls on the Indian External Affairs Minister

(2011-02-07)

The Foreign Secretary Mr. Salman Bashir called on the Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna at Thimphu today, 7 February 2011.

The Foreign Secretary conveyed the greetings and good wishes from the Pakistan leadership to the Indian leadership as well as Pakistan’s desire to have friendly, cooperative and mutually beneficial relations with India. He further said that the Government of Pakistan would like to resolve all outstanding issues with India in a peaceful and just manner and attached importance to a purposeful broad ranging engagement. Both countries attached importance to development and it was imperative to create an enabling environment to achieve prosperity, stability and peace. It was important that Pakistan and India assumed ownership for ensuring a better future for their peoples and for the region as a whole.

The Foreign Secretary also expressed satisfaction on the productive talks held in Thimpu with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, which were in continuation of the agreement reached in Thimpu last year by Prime Minster Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Indian External Affairs Minister reaffirmed the commitment of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to promote good relations with Pakistan and expressed support for the process of engagement discussed by the two Foreign Secretaries.

Islamabad
07 February 2011

041/2011