India on Friday said terrorism would be one of the issues in the forthcoming Foreign Minister-level talks with Pakistan to be held in New Delhi on July 26-27.
“Terrorism will be one of the issues on the agenda of the coming talks with the Pakistan Foreign Minister,” External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna told journalists while returning from Dhaka, wrapping a three-day official visit to Bangladesh.
Mr. Krishna dismissed reports that terror was not part of the agenda of the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries in Islamabad last month.
“I would like to contradict reports that terror was not part of the agenda of the talks the two Foreign Secretaries held in Islamabad and like to say that terrorism will be raised with the Pakistan Foreign Minister in the talks,” he said.
Mr. Krishna will hold talks with Hena Rabbani Khan who is expected to be elevated as Pakistan Foreign Minister.
“I am looking forward to meeting with the Pakistan Foreign Minister,” the External Affairs Minister said.
Asked about his expectations, Mr. Krishna said, “This is part of the ongoing engagement with Pakistan”.
He said the meetings of Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers in Thimphu and Mohali had given a “big impetus” to the engagement with Pakistan to move forward.
Mr. Krishna pointed out that his own visit to Islamabad sometime back and meetings between the two countries at the levels of Foreign Secretaries and Secretaries of different ministries were part of the continuous engagement with Pakistan.
