The arrival of the new Pakistan Foreign Minister and her official meeting with her Indian counterpart S M Krishna saw a preview of the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan finalizing a set of confidence building measures (CBMs) and resolving to continue with wide-ranging dialogue on different subjects on Tuesday. The dialogue between the two foreign secretaries set up the stage for the meeting between Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar and Mr. S M Krishna scheduled for Wednesday.
The interaction between the two foreign secretaries was described as amiable and on a positive note. Ina good gesture both the sides released prisoners of the other country, mostly fishermen.
The two foreign secretaries also had a talk on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Ms. Rao emphasized the need to quickly conclude the trial in Pakistan so that Pakistan’s claims of condemning and fighting against terrorism could be seen as genuine.
Some of the CBMs (confidence building measures) are expected to do deal with facilitating trade activities and movement of people across the borders. These measures also include increasing the number of trade days, better communication facilities like phone and more liberty to entry permits.

REPORT BY BIKRAM SINGH RANA