Pakistan India Foriegn Ministers handshake at SCO forum?
Shares
ISLAMABAD - A handshake between Foriegn Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj in Bishkek could set the tone for future dialogue.
The two top diplomats of the nuclear armed neighbours are in Kyrgyzstan to attend the two-day meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries.
Senior officials at the foreign ministry told The Nation that no formal meeting between Qureshi and Swaraj had been planned. “There will still be handshakes and pleasantries. Hopefully this will be the beginning of the dialogue process soon,” said an official.
Another official said that Pakistan was not against a formal meeting between the FMs but had waited for India’s request. “India had stopped the dialogue process and we want them to restart it,” he added.
Before flying to Bishkek, the foreign minister said that he will have an opportunity to exchange views with foreign ministers of eight countries, who will be attending the meeting.
Besides, Qureshi said he will hold bilateral meetings with three dignitaries, including the foreign ministers of China and Russia.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan is concerned over the regional situation evolving in the context of Iran. He said he will discuss the Iran issue with the foreign ministers of the two member countries of P-5 to get their input on the issue.
