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PR. No. 248/2009

Date: 26/06/2009   

MEETING BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTERS OF PAKISTAN AND INDIA

Foreign Minister of Pakistan Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the Minister for External Affairs of India, SM Krishna, met in Trieste today on the sidelines of the G-8 Outreach Meeting on Afghanistan. The meeting took place in cordial atmosphere. The two Foreign Ministers recalled the meeting in Yekateringburg between the President of Pakistan and the Indian Prime Minister 0n 16 June. Foreign Minister underlined Pakistan's desire for normal and good-neighbourly relations with India. Reciprocating the sentiment, the Indian Foreign Minister stated that India, too, had very positive sentiments for Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed the need for constructive engagement and sustained dialogue to address common challenges and to resolve the outstanding issues, irritants and disputes, including problems of water, menace of regional and global terrorism and the unresolved dispute of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the process of dialogue between the leadership of the two countries will continue with the meeting between the Prime Ministers in Sharm-ul-Sheikh

In response to his Indian counterpart's request to expedite action against the accused of the Mumbai terrorist attack, the Foreign Minister assured that Pakistan would proceed in accordance with its law.

The Foreign Ministers noted that the Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India are likely to meet shortly and report back on their discussions to them.

Islamabad

26 June 2009