India-Pakistan to hold talks on Siachen from April 6

New Delhi, Apr 2 (UNI) India and Pakistan will hold Defence Secretary level talks on Siachen and Sir Creek issues in Islamabad from April 6, having made considerable movement on the two subjects, Foreign Secretary Shivshanker Menon announced here today.

The announcement came after extensive talks between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri here earlier in the day on the margins of the SAARC Council of Ministers' meeting.

Briefing reporters, Mr Menon said the two leaders discussed the entire gamut of bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the two sides had completed the joint survey of Sir Creek and now have a common map before them. ''It will be our endeavour to see how we can resolve the issue,'' he added.

The two Foreign Ministers who are attending the SAARC Ministerial Conference, met after the first half of their day-long conference which is to finalise the agenda for tomorrow's Summit of SAARC heads of state/government.

The meeting lasted 30 minutes, sources said.

Immediately after the meeting, all the Foreign Ministers left for a lunch hosted by SAFMA.

Sources said Mr Mukherjee and Mr Kasuri prepared ground for the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on April 4.

The two Prime Ministers who will meet on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit, will discuss the entire gamut of India-Pakistan relations and carrying forward the Composite Dialogue Process (CDP).

UNI