National NEWS
No Composite Dialogue but New Format of Indo-Pak Talks Likely: Experts
April 30, 2010 Visionmp.com news service
A day after India and Pakistan decided to start foreign minister level talks, the spotlight is now shifting to working out the contours and contents of the talks, said media reports.
Yesterday, India considerately avoided the use of phrase ‘composite dialogue’ saying that the two countries should move beyond nomenclature to introspect on the trust deficit entrenched in their relationship and chart the way forward.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterparty Yousuf Raza Gilani asked their foreign ministers and foreign secretaries to work out modalities of restoring trust, covering all issues.
Experts, however, think that the modalities may not include composite dialogue. “The days of the composite dialogue are over. Its relevance is over,” Lalit Mansingh, former foreign secretary, was quoted as saying by IANS.
He made the remarks while commenting on the future form of dialogue in the aftermath of the thaw in Thimphu.
“A new format will emerge as the foreign ministers and foreign secretaries of the two countries meet in the days ahead,” Mansingh was quoted as saying.
A senior official said that the composite dialogue was based on Pakistan honouring its anti-terror pledge but now it was no more possible to follow the same track, reports said.
The composite dialogue included separate meetings on eight issues – peace and security, including confidence building measures, Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul navigation project, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic and commercial cooperation; and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields.
(Based on media reports)
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