Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan on Saturday held parleys to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and progress on the eight-point composite dialogue process, a day ahead of the crucial talks between their foreign ministers.
There were warm handshakes and smiles as Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Khokhar posed for photographers at the majestic Hyderabad House before engaging in negotiations.
Khokhar, an old India hand who has served as high commissioner in Delhi, greeted Saran who turned 58 on Saturday. "Let me take this opportunity to wish my friend a very happy birthday," Khokhar said adding, "It is very auspicious."
The two foreign secretaries will prepare the ground for the two-day meeting between External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri beginning Sunday.
Seventy-two proposals made by India including several confidence-building measures (CBMs) and several proposed by Pakistan during the talks on the composite dialogue process will come up for review.
New Delhi expects progress on several of its proposals aimed at enhancing people-to-people contacts and economic cooperation.
Ahead of the talks, the government received the backing of its United Progressive Alliance partners and the opposition in carrying forward the peace process.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a breakfast meeting with National Democratic Alliance chairman Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday and External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh met UPA leaders as also his predecessors Yashwant Sinha and Jaswant Singh as part of efforts to evolve a broad consensus.
New Delhi while reaffirming its commitment to the dialogue process is likely to convey its serious concerns over increase in infiltration and incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir in June and July.
It is expected to remind the Pakistani side of President Pervez Musharraf's commitment made in January this year that no part of territory in Pakistan and under its control would be used for terrorism against India.
New Delhi has expressed its readiness to consider making the Line of Control 'softer' to enable enhanced people-to-people contacts but made it clear that conversion of the LoC into an international border was not acceptable.
Easing of visa restrictions, agreement on advance notification of missile tests, release of civilian prisoners and steps to facilitate trade and economic cooperation are expected to be taken up during the parleys.
The 11-member Pakistani delegation, led by Khokhar, comprises High Commissioner to India Aziz Ahmed Khan, Additional Secretary Salman Bashir, Director General (South Asia) Jalil Abbas Jilani, DG (UN) and Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan, Deputy High Commissioner Munawar Saeed, Director (Kashmir Affairs) Zehra Akbari, Director (Foreign Secretar's office) Tehmina Janjua, Director (India) Tariq Zameer, Moazzam A Khan, counsellor at the mission in Delhi and Assistant Director (India) Irfan Shaukat.
The Indian side has High Commissioner to Pakistan Shiv Shankar Menon, Joint Secretary Arun K Singh, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna, Director (Foreign Secretary's office) Syed Akbaruddin, Director Monika Mohta and Under Secretary Deepak Mittal.
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