News
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Indo-Pak ‘trust deficit’ shrinking, says Krishna* Indian FM says both countries should look at a ‘joint strategy’ to fight terror
* Khar says ‘many, many more miles to move ahead’
ADDU: Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said on Wednesday that the “trust deficit” with Pakistan is shrinking, and that the two countries should now look at a “joint strategy” to fight terror.
The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, SM Krishna and Hina Rabbani Khar, arrived at a South Asian regional summit in the Maldives and spoke optimistically of the improvements in ties achieved during talks over the last few months. Referring to a “very positive atmosphere” between the countries, Krishna said that the “trust deficit” with Pakistan was shrinking and that they should now look at a “joint strategy” to fight terror.
“I think our relationship with Pakistan is becoming a little more stable than what it was before,” Krishna said as he flew to the Maldives, the Press Trust of India news agency said. Khar, appearing briefly before reporters, also said that the environment was improved ahead of bilateral talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
“I can certainly say from our side that we look at this environment to have improved considerably. The trust deficit that typically existed between the two countries for many, many years has been reduced to a large order,” she said. Both leaders also acknowledged the difficult work to do, not least tackling the vexed subject of Kashmir.
“We have many, many more miles to move ahead,” Khar said. She added that the threat of terrorism was a challenge to both India and Pakistan and will be addressed by leaders at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit. Efforts to reduce tensions have been complicated by the increasing influence of Afghanistan in the bilateral equation.
Over the past few years, New Delhi has regularly flayed Islamabad for its perceived unwillingness to tackle extremist groups and Krishna’s comments signal a marked change in tone. The last meeting in July between Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart, Hina Rabbani Khar, ended with talk of a “new era” of cooperation. afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk