FM : Pakistan wants to take India dialogue process forward

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar Thursday told the top Indian envoy that her country is keen to take the Dialogue Process forward in a sustained and result-oriented manner, officials said. Both countries resumed their formal dialogue process deadlocked for four years over the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistani Foreign Minister had visited New Delhi in July as part of the dialogue process and both countries had agreed to continue the talks to find out solution to disputes. The Foreign Minister stressed the Indian High Commissioner that Pakistan sought friendly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect and equality, the Foreign Ministry said. The Indian High Commissioner, Sharat Sabharwal, expressed satisfaction at the conclusion of the first round of resumed Dialogue Process, it said. He stated that the Government of India was encouraged by the successful visits to India of Foreign Minister and the last month visit of Pakistan Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim. 'India was keen to take the process forward,' Shabharwal said. Sources said that the coming meetings between the two countries, including talks between the Commerce Secretaries to be held next month, also came under discussion. During Fahim’s visit to New Delhi, India and Pakistan agreed to double bilateral trade to six billion dollars within three years. Foreign Minister Khar told the parliament last week that Pakistan had decided in principle to give Most Favoured Nation status to India. The Commerce Ministry is in the process of consultations with businessmen and chambers of commerce and industry to finalise this process and prepare a negative list of items that cannot be traded with India.