'Foreign secretaries meet to set tone for Indo-Pak talks'

New Delhi, July 12 (ANI): Foreign Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan will set the table brilliantly for the foreign ministerial level meeting to be held between the two countries in Islamabad on July 15, according to a Pakistani columnist.

On the sidelines of the Foreign Secretary level talks between Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir held in Islamabad, Mosharraf Zaidi said: " The talks between the two foreign secretaries was tremendously encouraging. There was a lot of flowery language that was on display during the talks instead of high minded flowing language about the importance of dialogue and everything that comes with it."

"The talks were held in a good environment, which set the table for July 15 talks brilliantly from that perspective. Let us hope there is not any kind of a reason for either side between now and then to feel that they need to behave differently," he added.

Zaidi further said the meeting between the two foreign ministers to be held on July 15 will take the talks between the two Asian neighbors half an inch forward.

Commenting on the element that terrorism bedevils any effort made by the either sides, Zaidi in an exclusive interview to ANI said terrorists want a compete breakdown of communication between the two countries.

"Terrorists don't want Pakistan to have a voice in India. India to have a voice in Pakistan. We all have to develop a thicker skin with regard to terrorism, so that the objective of the terrorists is not matched," said Zaidi.

"Pakistan is a smaller player in terms of global conversation and is really on the defensive. The bigger sort of impact of any terrorist attack will be an attack on India, as India has in many ways demonstrated a degree of restraint to the average middle class," he added.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will visit Pakistan from July 14 to work out the modalities of "restoring trust and confidence" in the relationship, thus paving the way for a "substantive dialogue" on issues of mutual concern.

Krishna will visit Pakistan from July 14-16, 2010 for bilateral discussions at the invitation of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan. (ANI)