Nirupama Rao, Chidambaram visits will create conducive atmosphere for talks

At least three high-profile visitors from India are due to arrive here in the next four weeks and the exercise is expected to help create a conducive atmosphere for dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad.

According to media reports, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao will be the first high-profile Indian official to visit Pakistan and hold discussions with her counterpart. External affairs ministries of both countries are working to ensure the meetings are result-oriented. Foreign office circles say Pakistan is not proposing any agenda for the talks.

There are indications both countries will announce some confidence-building measures. These could probably include an early meeting of the judicial committee on prisoners and enhanced commercial and economic ties. Rao will leave for Islamabad on Wednesday with home secretary GK Pillai. Talks will be held on Thursday.

Outlining India’s approach towards the crucial talks that will firm up the agenda for dialogue between the foreign ministers of the two countries on July 15 in Islamabad, sources added that though all issues would be on the table, Delhi would stress on its continuing concerns over terrorism.

“We are not going there in accusatory mode, but in an exploratory mode,” sources said. The two sides are likely to announce some CBMs at the July 15 meeting,  to signal that there’s been some progress in the direction of resuming composite dialogue, that got stalled after the Mumbai attack. From Delhi’s standpoint, terror will top the agenda.

After Rao, home minister P Chidambaram will be the next to arrive. He will be in Islamabad on Saturday to participate in the Saarc meeting of home ministers.