NEW DELHI: Pakistan and India will come face-to-face in Russia’s Sochi next week for the SCO summit. Diplomatic sources from both countries said that there is no proposal yet for any bilateral engagement on the sidelines of the summit, Times of India reported on Sunday.
While Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the summit, Pakistan is yet to announce the name of the leader who will head its delegation. Pakistan is likely to be represented by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will lead the Chinese delegation at the summit. Official sources here said that at the moment it seemed unlikely that Swaraj was going to have any bilateral meeting, or even a pull-aside, with the head of the Pakistani delegation.
Pakistan and India are currently in the middle of intense negotiations meant to facilitate a meeting between Indian spy in Pakistan’s custody Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife. India wants Pakistan to allow Jadhav’s mother and an Indian diplomat to accompany his wife.
Both Pakistan and India are now full members of SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation). While India’s membership was strongly backed by Russia, Pakistan’s entry into the grouping was ensured by China.