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Indian top diplomat to visit Pakistan: Islamabad

Xinhua, February 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday told his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif that he will soon send his top diplomat to the country, the PM office in Islamabad said.

Indian abruptly canceled dialogue with Pakistan in August last year as a protest over a meeting of the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi with Kashmiri separatist leaders.

The cross-border firing in recent weeks has increased tensions and both countries accuse each other of violation of a 2003 ceasefire.

The Indian prime minister spoke to Sharif by the phone on Friday morning and informed that his foreign secretary will soon visit Pakistan, which will be the first high level contacts in months.

"After greetings and pleasantries, Prime Minister Modi informed the Prime Minister that India's new foreign secretary will soon visit all SAARC counties and would also like to visit Pakistan," an official statement said.

SAARC, or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, groups Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Sharif traveled to India for the inauguration of Modi in May last year that had raised hopes for the revival of official talks. However, India has not yet resumed the dialogue with Pakistan.

"The prime minister, recalling his meeting with the prime minister of India on 27th May, 2014 welcomed the visit of Indian foreign secretary to Pakistan to discuss all issues of common interest," the PM office said.

Foreign affairs experts say that tense relationship between Pakistan and India has also badly affected the progress of SAARC.

Sharif also took up India relations with U.S. President Barrack Obama when both spoke by the phone on Thursday, a spokesman for the PM office said.

Sharif opposed the permanent United Nations Security Council's seat for India.

"India does not qualify for the permanent UNSC seat," the Pakistani prime minister said, adding that "India is violating U.N. resolutions on Kashmir dispute."

Obama had backed India's quest for the Security Council's seat during his last month's visit. Endi