India, Pakistan break ice, to resume talks

However, NSA-level talks between India’s Ajit Doval and his then Pakistani counterpart Sartaz Aziz scheduled in New Delhi in August were cancelled after the Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi insisted on inviting Hurriyat leaders for pre-talks consultations before Aziz arrived.

The joint statement condemned terrorism and resolved to cooperate to eliminate it.

Before Paris, the Prime Ministers of the two nations had held bilateral meeting in Russian city of Ufa where they decided that their NSAs would meet to discuss all “terror-related” issues.

Pakistan is said to have assured the Indian side that it is taking steps to expedite the early conclusion of trials of those accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks of 2009, the BBC’s Shahzeb Jillani in Pakistan reports.

Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan on a two-day visit to attend Heart of Asia conference. The meeting is considered crucial as many long standing issues were discussed.

He said both the countries would have to hold comprehensive dialogue on all issues including Kashmir dispute.

The media in Pakistan and India has viewed the agreement on the revival of the Comprehensive Dialogue that will cover all outstanding issues as a major “breakthrough”. “It is already too late to organise the series and we don’t have time for the series anyway”, he said referring to the proposed series in Sri Lanka where the teams were expected to play three ODIs and T20 Internationals.

Mrs Swaraj offered India’s cooperation with the Afghanistan and Pakistan on trade front. “In the last few months, terrorism in Afghanistan has grown in both in intensity and scope”.

“India-Pakistan ties are like a pendulum… the fear is that we might get stuck on old issues (terrorism and Kashmir)”. “Zarb-e-Azb is the largest counter-terrorism operation of its kind and is being internationally acknowledged and appreciated”, he said. Mr Swaraj said: “They need the continued support of the worldwide community to defend Afghanistan’s unity and security”.

“We are committed to working together with Afghanistan on the basis of mutual interest and respect”. Pakistan has repeatedly called for a referendum so residents can choose which country to join, a move India opposes because it could lead to a loss of territory. “The Heart of Asia can not function if arteries are clogged”, she said. “If Afghan trucks could carry Indian products to markets in Afghanistan and central Asia, that would be the best way to make trucking from Afghanistan cost effective and viable and bestow benefits to the whole region”.