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Krishna in Pakistan with new hopes of peace
ISLAMABAD: External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said he had brought a message of peace for Pakistan from his nation, Geo News reported Wednesday.Talking to media here, he said, "We hope to discuss all issues of mutual interest and concern that can contribute to restoring trust and bringing confidence in our bilateral relationship."
In a first trip by an External Affairs Minister to Pakistan since 26/11 terror attacks, SM Krishna on Wednesday arrived here on a mission to restore trust and increase confidence in the relationship, bogged down by terrorism over which he will convey India's concerns.
During his three-day visit, Krishna will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi tomorrow and will try to find areas of convergence between the two countries, besides focusing on Confidence Building Measures in the areas of people-to-people contact, exchange of prisoners and bilateral trade.
"I also look forward to receiving feedback on the issues raised by our Home Minister (P Chidambaram) during his visit to Pakistan last month on our core concern of terrorism, particularly in the light of the discussions our Home Minister had in Pakistan in the context of interrogation of David Headley regarding the Mumbai terrorist attack," he said.
Describing his visit as an important one, Krishna said he hoped it would usher in "a new journey in our efforts to build a peaceful, friendly and cooperative relationship between our two countries."
India is committed to resolving all issues with Pakistan through peaceful dialogue based on mutual trust and confidence, Krishna said.
"I am carrying with me a message of peace and friendship from the people of India and we hope to undertake this voyage of peace, however long and arduous, jointly with the government and people of Pakistan," he said.
Krishna said he also looked forward to meeting Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
During his visit here, the effort by the Indian side would be to work out the modalities of restoring trust and confidence in the relationship, thus paving the way for a substantive dialogue on issues of mutual concern.
The two Foreign Ministers have been tasked by their Prime Ministers, who met in Thimphu in April, to bridge the trust deficit and increase confidence in the relationship.
Courtesy www.Geo.tv