Indian, Pakistani security officials discuss key issues

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Tuesday 08 Dec 2015 - 10:47 Makkah mean time-26-2-1437 Bangkok, (IINA) – Pakistani and Indian national security advisors held talks in Bangkok on Sunday, days after a meeting in Paris between the prime ministers of both countries, to discuss issues related to peace, security and terrorism, Anadolu Agency reported. In a related development, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday to attend a multilateral conference on Afghanistan. India’s External Affairs Ministry issued a statement saying that the talks in Bangkok were conducted in a "candid, cordial and constructive atmosphere". According to the ministry, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua discussed several bilateral issues during the meeting. "Pursuant to the meetings of the prime ministers of India and Pakistan in Paris, the national security advisers, accompanied by the foreign secretaries, met in Bangkok today", the statement read. "They were guided by the vision of the two leaders for a peaceful stable and prosperous South Asia". "Discussions covered peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other issues, including tranquility along the Line of Control", the statement said noting that both officials had agreed to continue to pursue a policy of "constructive engagement". The Bangkok meeting is widely seen as a breakthrough in relations, especially in light of the fact that the two countries had called off planned talks in September. The September meeting had been planned after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif met in the Russian city of Ufa in July. The two prime ministers met in Paris on November 30, where they had both gone to attend a major climate conference. Before the Paris meeting, Sharif had said in Malta that his country was ready to talk to nuclear rival India without preconditions. AG/IINA