India, Pak agree on additional CBMs on Kashmir

New Delhi, Jul 27 (PTI) India and Pakistan on
Wednesday announced additional Confidence Building Measures
related to Kashmir, including increasing cross-LoC trading
days and expanding travel to include tourism and religious
aspects.
After the "satisfactory" talks between Indian External
Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart
Hina Rabbani Khar, the two sides also decided to relax permit
conditions for travel by people of Jammu and Kashmir to the
other side of LoC by having a system of six-month multiple
entry.
The two ministers discussed Jammu and Kashmir,
counter-terrorism measures, including progress in the Mumbai
attacks trial in Pakistan, humanitarian issues, commercial and
economic cooperation, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation
Project, Sir Creek, Siachen, peace and security including CBMs
and promotion of friendly exchanges.
They also agreed to convene separate meetings of the
expert groups on nuclear and conventional CBMs, in Islamabad
in September 2011.
"The Ministers held discussions on the issue of Jammu
and Kashmir and agreed to the need for continued discussions,
in a purposeful and forward looking manner, with a view to
finding a peaceful solution by narrowing divergences and
building convergences," said a joint statement issued after
the talks.
Krishna later said, "I must say that I am satisfied at
the progress achieved in this round of the resumed dialogue.
The outcomes have been as per our expectations...While being
fully cognisant of the challenges that lie ahead, I can
confidently say that our relations are on the right track."
On Jammu and Kashmir, Krishna said they will continue
discussions with a view to finding a peaceful solution by
"narrowing divergences and building convergences".
Expressing satisfaction at the outcome of talks, he
said the two sides decided that the Foreign Ministers will
meet again in Islamabad in the first half of 2012 to review
progress in the dialogue process.
"We are listening carefully to each other and giving
serious consideration to the ideas and proposals from both
sides that are on the table. I am also confident about our
future course of our relations, which has to be normalised for
peace progress and prosperity of our two countries and the
region," the External Affairs Minister said.
"This is indeed a new era of bilateral cooperation
between the two countries and it is our desire and I believe
after having spoken to you (Krishna), that it is the desire
and commitment of both the governments to make it an
uninterrupted and an uninterpretable process," Khar said.
"We have expressed our satisfaction on holding of
subject specific meetings during the last five months. We have
agreed that the process should continue and in fact there is
no alternative to dialogue and constructive engagement," she
said in a brief press stake-out after the meeting.
She said, "a new generation of India and Pakistan will
see a relationship which is going to be much different then
the one we experienced in the last few decades."
Khar, the youngest and first woman Foreign Minister of
Pakistan, said they should make every effort possible to
narrowing down divergences and building convergences.
"It is important that a responsible state we take
ownership of our own affairs. In the recent months we have
seen an intensification of contacts at different levels
between both the countries," she said. MORE PTI PYK
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The joint statement said the ministers affirmed the
importance of carrying forward the dialogue process with a
"view to resolving peacefully all outstanding issues through
constructive and result oriented engagement, and to establish
friendly, cooperative and good neighbourly relations between
Pakistan and India."
They also underlined the need for sustained effort by
both countries to build a relationship of trust and mutually
beneficial cooperation in conformity with the determination of
the people of both countries to see "an end to terrorism and
violence and to realise their aspirations for peace and
development."
Krishna and Khar also agreed that terrorism poses a
continuing threat to peace and security and reiterated the
firm and undiluted commitment of the two countries to fight
and eliminate this scourge in all its forms and
manifestations.
"Both sides agreed on the need to strengthen
cooperation on counter-terrorism including among relevant
departments as well as agencies to bring those responsible for
terror crimes to justice," the statement said.
They noted with satisfaction the fact that "since
the resumption of dialogue earlier this year, the process of
release of prisoners and fishermen from both sides has
continued."
On CBMs, the statement said the Working Group will
review the trading list with a view to further specifying
permissible items to facilitate intra-Jammu and Kashmir
Cross-LoC trade.
"The number of trading days stand enhanced from 2 to 4
days per week. Truck movements shall take place on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, both on Srinagar-
Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot routes," the statement said.
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