Islamabad, June 23 (ANI): Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan-Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir-will be meeting here on Thursday for the first round of two-days of talks, which will focus on peace and security. It is expected that a full session will be dedicated to the Jammu and Kashmir issue on the second day on Friday.
Rao and Bashir will also discuss ways to promote friendly exchanges between the two countries.
India is likely to flag its concerns over the glacial pace of the 26/11 trials and the recent revelations made by Pakistan Canadian citizen Tahawwur Hussain Rana on the involvement of Inter-Services Intelligence officials in the Mumbai terror attack of November 2008 under the segment of peace and security.
Pakistan, however, is keen to stoke up the Kashmir issue at the talks, sources here said.
New Delhi has already said it will not let its guard down on the Mumbai attacks, as it wants a satisfactory closure of the case.
Sources said that New Delhi is keen on taking forward the dialogue, but it has not put the 26/11 trial on the backburner. They also said that India has reasonable expectations from the talks.
Rao and Bashir will also review progress on confidence building measures on peace,security and Kashmir.
Sources said the foreign secretaries would also look into the progress made on cross-Line of Control confidence building measures and discuss how to strengthen and streamline cross-border trade.
Sources also told ANI that a discussion on nuclear safety would also take place.
"We already have confidence-building measures on nuclear safety and conventions. Both areas would be looked at during the talks," a source added.
The issue of visa liberalization would also be discussed at the talks. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)
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