Krishna, Qureshi have another chance encounter (Lead, Changing Dateline)

NEW YORK - Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna has had a second chance encounter with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi here, but it was still not clear if and when they would sit down for a dialogue.

The two leaders shook hands and exchanged pleasantries Monday evening at a reception for Commonwealth ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, five days after their paths first crossed in the parking lot of the UN headquarters Thursday.

Krishna declined to say whether he and Qureshi would sit down for bilateral talks, but Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters: “Our views are very clear. Our intention is to preserve with that dialogue.”

“It is necessary because India and Pakistan are close neighbours. And there are number of outstanding issues. It’s in the interest of our people and our future to tackle these issues and to have an intelligent dialogue on these issues,” she said.

Meanwhile, Qureshi told Pakistani reporters that a meeting with Krishna was possible before he left New York, if the Indian side agreed to fresh proposals submitted by Islamabad.

If he got a positive response from the Indian side “we can meet anytime before I leave for Pakistan,” he said. But talks between India and Pakistan should be “result-oriented, meaningful and substantive for the sake peace and stability”.

“How can Pakistan talk to India without these subjects being on the table,” Qureshi said pointing to disputes over Kashmir, Siachen and water. The need of the hour was for the Indian government to change “tactics” in dealing with the Kashmiris, he said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)