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2nd LD Writethru: India, Pakistan agree to revive stalled dialogue

Xinhua, July 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

India and Pakistan Friday decided to revive the stalled dialogue process and find ways to expedite trial of the Mumbai attack case at talks between Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Ufa, Russia, said local media.

The Press Trust of India also reported that Modi had agreed to visit Pakistan next year for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit to be held in Islamabad.

Modi and Sharif held their first bilateral talks in over an year for nearly one hour at the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

India suspended dialogue on improving relations with Pakistan one year ago over the contacts between Pakistan diplomats in Delhi and separatist leaders of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The two sides also decided that Indian National Security Advisers Ajit Doval and Pakistani PM's security advisor Sartaj Aziz will meet in New Delhi either next month or in September to discuss "all issues connected to terrorism".

The two leaders focused their discussions mainly on terrorism, which India has been projecting as the core issue bedevilling India-Pakistan relations, according to the report.

Foreign Secretaries of the two countries were supposed to meet in August last year in Islamabad but the talks were canceled by India which protested the Pakistani envoy in Delhi meeting Kashmiri separatist leaders.

A one-page joint statement outlining a five-point roadmap issued after the Modi-Sharif meeting said, "Both sides agreed to discuss ways and means to expedite the Mumbai case trial (in Pakistan), including additional information like providing voice samples", according to the report.

The joint statement also spelt out a number of decisions, including early meetings of Border Security Force Director General of India and his counterpart from Pakistan Rangers followed by that of Director Generals of Military Operations.

Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister in 12 years to travel to Pakistan next year, if everything goes smoothly in bilateral ties.

The two leaders agreed that India and Pakistan have collective responsibility to ensure peace and promote development, according to the report. Endi