Kasuri arrives to talk peace

New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) A day after the Samjhauta Express explosions, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri arrived here today on a three-day official visit to co-chair the revived India-Pakistan Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) and hold talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on carrying forward the peace process.

He was received at the airport by Mr N Ravi, Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry.

During the visit, the two countries will sign an Agreement on 'Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons' after the Joint Commission Meeting tomorrow, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said here.

This will be the fifth JCM of the two countries.

Terrorism is set to dominate the agenda of talks between Mr Kasuri and Indian leaders as the visit comes a day after the Samjhauta Express train blast in which at least 66 people were killed.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister who will have discussions with Mr Mukherjee, is expected to present a fresh set of proposals including the one on liberalising the 1974 visa regime between the two countries, official sources said.

Siachen issue is also likely to come up during discussions between the two Foreign Ministers, the sources said.

The meeting between the two Foreign Ministers will be their third during the past four months.

The two countries had established a Joint Commission in March 1983 for strengthening cooperation in various fields.

However, only three meetings could be held between 1983 and 1989 after which it did not meet following a downslide in relations between the two countries.

It was revived during President Pervez Musharraf's visit to India in April 2005. Consequently, Mr Mukherjee had, during his last month visit to Pakistan, extended an invitation to Mr Kasuri to visit New Delhi for the JCM.

Six of the eight Technical-level JWGs on Agriculture, Health, Science and Technology, IT and Telecommunications, Environment and Tourism have already met in 2006. The remaining two--Education and Information--will meet on February 20.

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