New Delhi: National Security Advisors (NSA) of India and Pakistan today met in Bangkok. India's NSA Ajit Doval was seen shaking hands with his Pakistani counterpart general Nasser Khan Janjua in the capital of Thailand.
According to media report, during the meeting, the NSAs discuss peace and security,terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir and other issues.
NSAs met pursuant to the meeting of the two PMs in Paris on the sidelines of the Climate change summit.Both the NSAs had also agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement between both India and Pakistan.
After the talks, the two sides issued a joint press statement which said, “Pursuant to the meeting of the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Paris, the NSAs, accompanied by the Foreign Secretaries, met in Bangkok today.
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“Discussions were held in a candid, cordial and constructive atmosphere. They were guided by the vision of the two leaders for a peaceful stable and prosperous South Asia.
What is interesting is the fact that Gen Janjua has the confidence of Pakistan's military establishment and in one sense this meeting has paved the way for India to engage Pakistan Army in talks between the two countries.
“Discussions covered peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other issues, including tranquility along the LoC. It was agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement.”
The meeting is a major breakthrough given that the two sides had engaged in mutual blame game earlier in September this year resulting in cancellation of the NSA-level talks and stalling the interaction process as was agreed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in July in Russian city of Ufa.
The two Prime Ministers had a brief but close chat on November 30 in Paris where they had gone to attend the climate summit.
The Bangkok meeting also paves the way for a visit by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Islamabad this week to attend a multilateral conference on Afghanistan.
