Pakistan said on Tuesday it hoped that an Indo-Pak summit at the behest of Russian President Vladimir Putin would take place early next month in Kazakhstan's capital Almaty early next month.
There would either be direct talks between India and Pakistan or in the presence of third party during forthcoming Kazakhstan summit where Asian leaders would assemble from June 3 to 5 to discuss security related issues in the region, Information Minister Nisar Memon said. Putin has expressed the desire to hold talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the council of cooperation on confidence measures in Asia summit.
Russian deputy foreign minister Anatoly Safonov visited Islamabad on Monday to discuss Putin's offer to hold talks. "We are going there with a hope that first of all India will hold direct dialogue with us. But, if India does not want direct dialogue with Pakistan then possibly it may involve third party," Memon told a radio channel.
He said Pakistan is implementing all commitments and announcements made by Pervez Musharraf on January 12. But if still India says that cross border terrorism is going on then we have also offered to appoint international observers.
Why are they not ready to appoint them. What does they want, the minister said.
To a question he claimed, there was more international pressure on India than Pakistan. There is a diplomatic pressure on India to come to the negotiating table, stop shelling on the Line of Control, borders and start dialogue with Pakistan, He added. Bureau Report