Type: Parliament Questions and Answers

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-

(a) whether any talks has been held at any level with Pakistan recently;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the details of agreements arrived at during the meetings including the issue of cross border terrorism; and

(d) the response of the Pak Government in this regard?

ANSWER: THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS(SMT. PRENEET KAUR)

(a) to (d) Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry and Textiles along with a high powered business delegation visited Pakistan from February 13-16, 2012. The Commerce Ministers of India and Pakistan along with their official delegations met for the bilateral meeting on February 15, 2012. During the visit both sides reviewed the progress achieved in taking forward the bilateral trade relationship. Three Agreements i.e. Customs Cooperation Agreement, Bilateral Cooperation Agreement on Mutual Recognition between Bureau of Indian Standards and Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority and Redressal of Trade Grievances Agreement, were initialled during the visit.

Hon’ble Speaker, LOK SABHA, along with a delegation of seven Members of Parliament, visited Pakistan from February 21-25, 2012, on the invitation of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Apart from a meeting with the Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly, the Indian delegation called on the Prime Minister of Pakistan and had meetings with the Governor and Chief Minister of Punjab in Lahore. The Indian delegation also interacted with the members of Women Caucus and the Parliamentary Friendship Group for India.

Fifth Round of Expert Level Talks on Conventional Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and the Sixth Round of Expert Level Talks on Nuclear CBMs between India and Pakistan were held in Islamabad on December 26-27, 2011. The two sides reviewed the implementation of existing CBMs and reaffirmed their commitment to explore possibilities for mutually acceptable additional CBMs. They also agreed to recommend to their Foreign Secretaries to extend the validity of the “Agreement on Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons” for another five years.

We have consistently conveyed to Pakistan that it must fulfill its solemn commitment of not allowing territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner. In the Joint Statement issued after the meeting of External Affairs Minister with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan in New Delhi on July 27, 2011, both sides agreed that terrorism poses a continuing threat to peace and security and reiterated the firm and undiluted commitment of the two countries to fight and eliminate this scourge in all its forms and manifestations and in this regard agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism to bring those responsible for terror crimes to justice.

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Pakistan
South Asia