Indo-Pak talks didn't fail, one meet can't bridge differences: Nirupama Rao

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated:

'I would, by no means, describe the visit of the external affairs minister to Islamabad in July as a failure. Because it was not a failure. Our relations with Pakistan are complex,' foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said.

India does not regard as a "failure" the July 15 Indo-Pak talks in Islamabad as the parleys helped in understanding each other's point of view on matters of mutual interests and concerns and there was "large understanding" on many issues.

"I would, by no means describe the visit of the external affairs minister to Islamabad in July as failure. Because it was not a failure. Our relations with Pakistan are complex," foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said.

Rao said that the visit helped to promote understanding of each other's point of view on issues of mutual interests and concerns.

"There were differences on few issues and I don't deny that ... differences cannot bridged in one meeting alone but there was large understanding on many other issues," she said in an interview to All India Radio.

The July 15 meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan ended in sharp differences which was also reflected in the joint press meet after the parleys.

She said that Pakistan foreign minister SM Qureshi has accepted the invitation of Krishna to visit India and mutually accepted dates will be decided through diplomatic channels.

Noting the "slow" pace of the trial of 26/11 suspects, Rao said it was India's "expectations, hope and desire" that Pakistan bring the perpetrators of the terror attacks to justice expeditiously.

On US president Barack Obama's visit to India in early November, the foreign secretary said it was an "important and definitive" visit during which the two countries will have wide-ranging talks on bilateral and regional issues.

The visit will further strengthen the strategic partnership between the biggest and largest democracies of the world, she said.

In response to another question, the foreign secretary said that the passage of nuclear liability bill will pave the way for India to have nuclear commerce with international community. This, she said, will go a long way in meeting the growing energy demand in the country.

The bill is presently under consideration of a parliamentary standing committee, which is likely to finalise its recommendations by next week.

On India-China ties, Rao said the two countries will hold another round of talks soon to discuss the border issue and maintained some progress was made in last 13 rounds of parleys.