Singh Told Gilani Issues Can Be Resolved if Trust Deficit Ends: Krishna

External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani that all issues between the two countries can be resolved if the trust deficit could be eliminated, said media reports.

Making a statement in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Prime Minister’s visit to Bhutan where he met Gilani, Krishna said that during the meeting, Singh conveyed India’s ‘serious concerns’ over terrorism emanating from Pakistan and sought speedy action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack, reports said.

However, due to the din caused by opposition members who were targeting Telecom Minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum issue, Krishna couldn’t read out the statement in Lok Sabha and laid it, reports said.

In the Rajya Sabha, members wanted to seek clarifications on the statement but Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan and V Narayansami said that it could be done either on Wednesday or Thursday, said reports.

The minister said in the statement that the two prime ministers had cordial and frank discussions, reports said.

“He (Singh) told him (Gilani) that if the trust deficit between India and Pakistan can be eliminated all issues can be resolved through dialogue,” Krishna was quoted as saying.

He underlined that good relations between India and Pakistan were in the interest of both the countries as well as in the interest of the peace, stability and development in the region, said reports.

Krishan said that the Foreign Ministers and Foreign Secretaries of the two countries have been entrusted with the responsibility to work out mechanisms on how the trust deficit can be removed.

(Based on internet reports)