Islamabad: The answer to the problem of terrorism lies in "enhanced engagement" between India and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday as he discussed with Minister for Commerce Anand Sharma
modalities to bridge the trust deficit.
Qureshi, who met Sharma on the sidelines of the
Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in
Asia summit in Istanbul, also discussed the huge untapped
trade potential between the neighbours.
Welcoming Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram`s
upcoming visit to Pakistan later this month, Qureshi said he
would discuss "issues of mutual concern" with Chidambaram.
The Indian Home Minister is scheduled to visit
Pakistan to attend a meeting of SAARC interior ministers on
June 26.
Qureshi and Sharma also discussed the forthcoming
dialogue between Pakistan and India.
Qureshi said "enhanced engagement" between the two
countries was the answer to the problem of terrorism.
They deliberated on "modalities to bridge the trust
deficit that exists between the two countries and the ways to
take the dialogue process forward," said a statement issued by
the Foreign Office.
Sharma said he is looking forward to meeting his
Pakistani counterpart to discuss issues of bilateral trade and
commerce.
Qureshi appreciated the recent meeting between
Pakistani and Indian businessmen in New Delhi.
Sharma told Qureshi that he would send a delegation of
the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to Pakistan in
October to "further cement and explore bilateral economic
ties".
Qureshi conveyed his best wishes to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his Indian counterpart S M Krishna, who is
scheduled to visit Islamabad on July 15 for bilateral talks.
Ahead of this meeting, Indian Foreign Secretary
Nirupama Rao will visit Islamabad for talks with her Pakistani
counterpart Salman Bashir on June 26.
PTI
