Pakistan and India have agreed to upgrade the hotline connections between Directors-General, Military Operations by the end of next month, via the submarine cable that is more stable and strong media. The two delegations representing Foreign Office senior officials, which met in New Delhi on Monday, also decided to schedule more monthly flag meetings between the local commanders at four places along the Line of Control.
Pakistan delegation to the expert level talks on conventional confidence building measures as part of the ongoing composite dialogue was led by Tariq Osman Hyder, Additional Secretary Foreign Affairs, and the Indian side by Dilip Sinha, Joint Secretary, External Affairs.
The two delegations met in the morning and in a joint press statement released later they also recommended to their Foreign Secretaries to have periodic review of these CBMs.
The statement was simultaneously released in Islamabad and New Delhi by official spokesmen saying that the dates and venues for such future meetings will be determined by foreign secretaries of the two countries.
The statement released here on Monday by Naeem Ahmed Khan said that the talks between the two delegations were held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere and both sides exchanged views on their respective security concepts.
After exchange of views on various proposals, the delegates agreed on the following confidence-building measures (CBMs):
Reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the ongoing cease-fire;
Implementation of 1991 agreement between Pakistan and India on Air Space Violations in letter and spirit;
Upgrade the existing hotline between the two DGMOs via the submarine cable by the end of coming September;
Not to develop any new posts and defence works along Line of Control;
Hold monthly flag meetings between local commanders at Kargil/Olding, Uri/Chakothi, Naushera/Sadabad and Jammu and Sialkot sectors;
Speedy return of inadvertent crossers; and
To work out a comprehensive framework to that end and to periodially review the existing CBMs.
The spokesman said that Commerce Secretaries meeting would be held in New Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday, focussing attention on development of trade through shipping, railways, air links and postal services.
The Working Group stands at Number 8 on the agenda of the composite dialogue and the two sides will be discussing proposals for expansion of economic and commercial co-operation.
Naeem said that Pakistan was going to talks with an open, constructive and positive mind and hopes that Indian side will be able to bring about some improvement in its trading regime to facilitate Pakistani products in their markets.
Pakistan would also look at proposals for rectification in the balance of trade at the bilateral level, he said, and added that Pakistan would like to host the next working group meeting.
The spokesman regretted that Indian side was creating a bogey of infiltration along the Line of Control to ferry additional troops in Occupied Kashmir.
He said that Pakistan had noted that the human rights violations in Kashmir had gone up over the past few days and there was need for the Indian side to address this issue and improve the situation.
Commenting on the break-up of direct talks between Iran and European Union nations he said that Islamabad wanted the two sides to resume their search for a peaceful solution, as it remains opposed to "coercive measures".
He said Pakistan did not wish to see emergence of another crisis in "our neighbourhood" and that is why it wants the both sides to work out a peaceful solution.
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