India, Pakistan set agenda for Delhi talks in Feb

No formal agenda has been drawn up for the first round of dialogue to be held in New Delhi, possibly in the third week of February, The News quoted diplomatic sources in Brussels, Belgium as saying.

Apart from the above two issues, the other subjects likely to be discussed are peace and security; Wuller Barrage and Tulbul Navigation Project; the Sir Creek issue; terrorism and drug trafficking: economic and commercial cooperation; and, promotion of friendly exchanges.

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The level at which the first round of dialogue will take place is yet to be decided. Pakistan wants that the negotiations start at the foreign secretary level, while India is insisting on a step-by-step approach and that dialogue commence from the joint secretary level.

According to the report, both countries may resolve their differences by determining a lowest common denominator of Indian and Pakistani positions on the level of dialogue.

A diplomatic source was quoted as saying that such a denominator is being discussed in terms of initiating dialogue on peace and security related issues, Kashmir and Siachen at foreign secretary level and leaving all other areas for discussion at the level of joint secretaries.

The foreign offices of India and Pakistan are under strict instructions from their respective leaders that they should avoid touching the "areas of discord at the outset by trying to encourage the issues of concord".

A European diplomat said the foreign offices of India and Pakistan are trying to resolve the minor difference of opinion related to the level of initiating composite dialogue and the latest telephonic contact between Sinha and Kasuri was part of the efforts to resolve the difference of perception related to the mechanism for the official talks beginning next month.