Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar emphasised on Sunday the need for a result-oriented and unhindered dialogue with India, saying the two countries had reduced the trust deficit and were now competing on positive gestures.
She was holding a press conference at the Foreign Office after returning from the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in the Maldives.
She said that in their meeting Prime Minster Yousaf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh had agreed on building an environment conducive to achieving results, rather than merely holding ineffective rounds of talks. “We have invested far too much in seeking out hostility towards each other and too less in seeking out peace with each other,” Khar said.
“The message from the recent meetings between the two countries is that the future direction is forward, positive and much more constructive,” she said, adding: “Pakistan and India are successful in reducing the trust deficit and have started building trust.”
She said the 30-minute meeting between the two leaders was very constructive and positive, and that all issues including terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir came under discussion. She said the Indian prime minister also expressed his country’s desire to move forward with Pakistan.
She said the SAARC countries made a landmark agreement by agreeing to meet any natural calamity with unity. Khar welcomed China’s “keen interest in SAARC”, saying the bloc could play an important role in ending regional problems. “Pakistan has suggested the establishment of a SAARC Regional Bank,” she said.
About the meeting between Gilani and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, she said it was held in a positive atmosphere. She said the Pakistani leadership had frankly asked Karzai to apprise its neighbour directly if there was any problem, instead of talking to the media.
“A stable Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan and Pakistan supports Afghan-led and Afghan-owned initiatives for peace in the country,” Khar said.
On Gilani’s meetings with his Russian and Chinese counterparts at the sidelines of a recent summit under Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Saint Petersburg, the foreign minister termed both meetings useful, constructive and forward-looking. “Certainly we have achieved new heights in our relations with Russia,” she said.
Answering a query, she said Pakistan was active in acquiring natural gas from any available source, including Iran and Turkmenistan. To another question, she said Bangladesh had assured it will not oppose Pakistan’s access to European Union markets in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). She said Brazil too was not opposing Pakistan in the WTO.
