Opening statements by EAM and Pak FM during Joint Press Interaction
Foreign Minister of Pakistan S.M. Qureshi: Ladies and Gentlemen, my apologies to keep you waiting. It took much longer than anticipated. Obviously, we were meeting after a long interval. There was so much to discuss. Mr. Krishna, the External Affairs Minister, and myself, we had a very frank, candid and honest discussion on where we stand, how we look at our bilateral relations, and how do we move forward.
Pakistan has always wanted friendly, cooperative, and good neighbourly relations with India. We have started a process to achieve this objective. Both sides recognize that process had made incremental progress. We had made substantive progress in a number of areas as well. Both sides at the leadership level in Thimphu, Bhutan, agreed that dialogue is the only way forward and is the most preferred way forward.
The two Foreign Ministers were given the task to sit and discuss ways and means to restore confidence and bridge the trust deficit. Today we have had an extended meeting looking at various options, looking at various steps that would build and restore confidence, that would bridge trust deficit.
If our objective is good neighbourly relations, friendly, cooperative relations, the question is, how can we achieve this if we are not engaging? We cannot achieve this objective while remaining disengaged. And that is why the two Prime Ministers felt the necessity to resume the dialogue process.
If we want to move forward, the question is how do we move forward without addressing issues of mutual concern? And there are many issues of mutual concern. Let me point out terrorism is an issue of mutual concern. Today India and Pakistan both are victims of terrorism. How do we face this challenge? We have come to the conclusion that the best way to deal with this challenge is to recognize this as a common enemy and adopt a common approach vis-à-vis this menace. I explained to the Foreign Minister the change in mood within Pakistan, the steps Pakistan has undertaken to deal with this menace, and the law enforcement operations under way in Pakistan.
We also discussed how we can hasten the trial process which is under way. We recognize and accept that the meeting of the Home Minister and the Interior Minister was encouraging. We are of the view that the meeting between the Foreign Secretaries was very useful to lay the foundations for a sustained, meaningful, result-oriented dialogue.
Pakistan would take the leads provided by the Home Minister very seriously because we want to move on. Resolution of outstanding issues is important. Today there are issues which are of significance to India. And progress vis-à-vis the Mumbai trial, cooperation in overcoming the challenge of terrorism is important and has taken a very prominent role. One recognizes that. But there are issues that are of core importance to Pakistan. They should be addressed and we have to discuss them. We have agreed on the need to discuss them, to make the process meaningful.
In our discussions we were very frank and we had a discussion on all the issues that are of importance whether it is terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, the recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachen. How there are opportunities of economic cooperation, and how through economic integration we can uplift the quality of the ordinary citizens of South Asia, how people-to-people contacts will facilitate and create an enabling environment to sustain the dialogue, all these issues were discussed in a very open, in a very frank, and in a very candid manner.
We have made progress on certain Kashmir-related CBMs. We have discussed how useful they have been and how we can build on what we have achieved in the past, whether it is cross-LoC trade or travel. We have talked about the fact that we can reach an amicable resolution of the Sir Creek issue. And Pakistan has asked for the Indian proposal that was made verbally to be sent to us in writing.
We have also discussed how we can take steps that will improve, help many people like prisoners, like fishermen. But we feel we have to look at the larger picture and all issues have to be dealt in tandem. We have to respect the Indian point of view and they have to understand Pakistan’s point of view, and collectively we have to move on.
So, today’s prolonged discussions were useful in creating an understanding how to move forward. We have agreed that this process is valuable, and we will continue to meet in the future as well. We also feel that the progress made through a concerted effort in the last four years should not come to naught and we should build on it. So, to that extent I would say this was a useful meeting; it was a useful engagement; and we have agreed to continue this engagement in the days to come.