In a clear indication that the meeting between the Indian and Pakistani Foreign Secretaries on Tuesday failed to create common understanding on the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the meeting was a “courtesy.”
On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said “the meeting was not part of the CBD and was a sideline meeting under the Heart of Asia process,” which also seemed confirmed that the meeting’s outcomes are still uncertain.
The CBD was agreed on December 9 when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met her counterpart in Islamabad on the sideline of the Heart of Asia Ministerial Meeting.
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“The Pakistan Foreign Secretary was here to attend the Heart of Asia Conference and as a courtesy there were some talks. But it should not be taken as official dialogue,” Mr. Singh said.