Bilateral ties: No breakthrough in talks with India: Sartaj

Says Chinese president will not attend Pakistan Day parade

ISLAMABAD:

Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz admitted on Friday that despite the recent visit of the Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to Islamabad, there was no breakthrough in talks with India.

“There are no dates finalised for the next round of talks,” Sartaj Aziz told the media after attending the book launching ceremony of former federal minister Lt. General (retd) Abdul Majid Malik here.

The adviser, however, hoped that the visit would pave the way for future negotiations.

His statement comes a day after the Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said Pakistan would not characterise Indian foreign secretary’s visit as a failure, rather it was an ‘icebreaker’ between neighbouring countries.

“I would not like to characterise it as a failure. India had characterised it as a visit in the context of Saarc. We said it is a visit that is taking place in lieu of the August visit as an icebreaker,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters at a weekly news briefing on Thursday.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry on Thursday briefed the ambassadors of P-5 countries – namely the US, UK, France, China and Russia – and the EU mission in Islamabad on the Indian foreign secretary’s visit. Describing the visit as a step in the right direction, Chaudhry stressed the importance of maintaining sustained and structured dialogue to carry forward the relationship.

Following the talks, the two countries agreed to work together to find a common ground to narrow down differences, but said they would reflect on the issues discussed during the talks and then take the decision for the future course of action.

Chinese president’s visit

To a question, the advisor to PM revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently not scheduled to attend the Pakistan Day parade on March 23.

Sartaj Aziz said dates for the Chinese president’s visit would be finalised through diplomatic channels. Sources said the President Xi is likely to travel to Pakistan in April.

Earlier, there were some reports that President Xi may visit Pakistan in March to attend the joint military parade on Pakistan Day.

During his recent visit to Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on February 12, 2015, confirmed that President Xi would be making his first state visit to Pakistan within the ‘next few months.’

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2015.