India, Pak to hold talks on Siachen, Sir Creek from May 23-26

New Delhi, May 17 (UNI) India and Pakistan will hold talks on Siachen issue here on May 23-24 which will be followed by discussions on Sir Creek on May 25-26 under the third round of the Composite Dialogue Process between the two countries.

The Home Secretary-level talks between the two countries on Terrorism and Drug-Trafficking will be held on May 30-31 in Islamabad, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said.

These would be followed by talks between Culture Secretaries of the two countries on Promotion of Friendly Exchanges on June one and two in New Delhi.

The Indian delegation at the talks for resolving the Siachen dispute will be headed by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt while the Pakistani side will be led by his counterpart, Lt Gen (Retd.) Tariq Wasim Ghazi.

For the talks on Sir Creek, Maj Gen M Gopal Rao, Surveyor General of India, will lead the Indian side and the Pakistan side will be led by Admiral Ahsan-ul-Haq Chaudhri, Additional Secretary, Defence.

The third round of India-Pakistan Composite Dialogue was initiated by the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries on January 17-18.

The Composite Dialogue includes eight topics under which Peace and Security, including CBMs and Jammu and Kashmir were discussed in January.

Economic and Commercial Cooperation was discussed during the Commerce Secretary-level talks in April 2006.

UNI RB VD HS1758