ISLAMABAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) — Pakistan top national security adviser Sartaj Aziz confirmed Thursday that he will be visiting India later this month for security talks between the two countries.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed last month at their meeting in the Russian city of Ufa that National Security Advisers of the two countries should meet to “discuss all issues connected to terrorism.”
“I can confirm that I will proceed to India on August 23 for the talks of the National Security Advisers,” Sartaj Aziz said while responding to a question at a joint press conference with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
India abruptly suspended high level diplomatic talks with Pakistan in August last year after the Pakistani envoy in New Delhi met Kashmiri leaders.
The talks known as the “Composite Dialogue” were also stopped by India following the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“Although the security talks are not the revival of the Composite Dialogue, the meeting would be an ‘Ice-breaking’ as we will hold discussions on some important issues,” the Pakistani adviser said.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif believed that dialogue is the only option to peacefully resolve issues,” Aziz added.
India had suggested Aug. 23-24 for the security talks in line with the meeting of the two prime ministers on July 10.
Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said his government is working in agenda for the security talks.
The Pakistan and India talks are deemed very significant after the recent cross-border shelling has left civilian casualties and escalated tensions between the two nuclear neighbors.
The prime ministers had also agreed on meetings between senior officials of the border security forces and chiefs of the Military Operations.
Both countries accused each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control that divide the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region.