India, Pakistan diplomats prepare for ministerial talks

NEW DELHI: Top diplomats from India and Pakistan met Tuesday in New Delhi to prepare the ground for the first foreign minister peace talks in a year between neighbours.

Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao welcomed her counterpart Salman Bashir for closed-door discussions ahead of meeting between Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and Pakistan's Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday.

"This meeting will look at what are the series of steps we can take in the months to come," a top foreign ministry official said during a weekend briefing, on condition of anonymity.

"We will announce some CBMs and there will be more meetings in the future and it would be good if we can expand the scope for people-to-people contacts," the source said.

Analysts say trade and border issues, allowing freer movement of people and goods across border, offer both sides the chance to make advances.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week during a trip to India that she was "encouraged" by the dialogue between Indian and Pakistani leaders.

Interest in Wednesday's foreign minister meeting has been piqued by the recent appointment of Khar as Pakistan's top diplomat.

Khar, 34, Pakistan's first female foreign minister and the youngest to occupy the post, arrives in New Delhi on Tuesday. Her counterpart Krishna is 45 years her senior.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011