INDIA-PAKISTAN FOREIGN SECRETARIES RESUME DIALOGUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 007797 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR PBTS MOPS KDEM KISL PK IN SUBJECT: INDIA-PAKISTAN FOREIGN SECRETARIES RESUME DIALOGUE Classified By: D/Polcouns Atul Keshap for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) At their just concluded their meetings in New Delhi, Indian and Pakistani Foreign Secretaries Shivshankar Menon and Riaz Mohammad Khan agreed to a fourth round of composite dialogue despite ongoing Indian concerns about continued terrorist attacks. Press reports said Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee will visit Pakistan next month, and will extend an invitation to President Musharraf to attend the SAARC summit in India next year. In separate press briefings, the two sides further announced the modalities of the joint counter-terrror mechanism, with Additional Secretaries from each country's Foreign Ministry heading the SIPDIS working-level dialogue. India gave Pakistan information about past terrorist attacks, but excluded the 2006 Mumbai attacks, explaining that the evidence has yet to be filed in Indian courts and doing so could disqualify the cases against those in Indian custody who are implicated in the attacks. ¶2. (C) Little came of Pakistani Foreign Minister Kasuri's statements that a deal would be finalized soon on the protracted dispute over the Siachen glacier. Instead, the Foreign Secretaries agreed that the Indian and Pakistani Defense Secretaries would meet "in the next few months" to discuss the Siachen issue, although the dates for talks were not finalized. On Sir Creek, they agreed to begin a joint survey, which is scheduled to conclude in February 2007. In addition they discussed implementation of agreements on nuclear risk reduction, cross LOC trade, a revised shipping protocol, and quarterly flag meetings for troops on the border. ¶3. (C) Comment: We will report more in the next few days as we meet with contacts to discuss additional details of the talks. For now, however, at least the two sides leave resumed dialogue and, in their initial press appearances, have avoided taking too many pot shots at each other. End Comment. MULFORD