Pakistan, India’s top diplomats meet in Bangkok

There were disagreements about the agenda of the meeting too – with Pakistan pushing for an “open agenda” and India maintaining the talks should be confined to terrorism. “A process of confidence building measures has started”, he said. Even the sensitive negotiations between the then USSR and U.S. during the Cold War during the 1980s were held in London and Reykjavik.

The blame game for the cancellation of talks continued for many days.

This is the first official confirmation by the government as earlier unconfirmed reports were floating regarding Swaraj’s Pakistan visit. This could also serve as the excuse for a India Pakistan summit.

Top Pakistani and Indian security advisers met in Bangkok Sunday and discussed a wide range of issues including anti-terror cooperation, officials said here.

Foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India, aided by their respective national security advisers, discussed in Bangkok on Sunday peace and security issues between the two countries.

He asked BJP to make it clear as to what was discussed about Jammu and Kashmir during the talks in the Thai capital.

So what has changed since Ufa, Russia where the two Prime Ministers met in July, and the two foreign secretaries issued a statement on terrorism?

But what did they agree on? “It was agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement”, it said.

When the two sides have done it in Bangkok there is no reason to believe why they can’t do it in Islamabad.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is set to visit Pakistan to attend an global conference on Afghanistan.

To a question, the advisor said the Afghan president is also arriving in Pakistan on Wednesday.

Secondly, the recent appointment of Lt Gen Janjua as the Pakistani NSA is a significant pointer that the Pakistani military is keen talking to India.

Raising the issue at start of Rajya Sabha proceedings, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarify India’s engagement with Pakistan and take Parliament and Opposition into confidence about the direction and roadmap that government has in mind.

Tewari said if the talks were so essential, government should have explained the rationale behind it and held it either in New Delhi or Islamabad.

Sharif has weakened considerably since, with General Sharif now in command.

That the two sides hit the ground running in Bangkok was evident from the fact that they came up with a joint press statement, which in itself is quite a rarity and signifies their readiness to move forward. What is important is the substance of the talk.