India-Pakistan
Foreign ministers of India, Pakistan to attend Heart of Asia conference in Tajikistan
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi will attend the meetings of the Heart of Asia Conference- Istanbul Process on 30 March in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The Istanbul Process- started in 2011 jointly by Afghanistan and Turkey- aims for the cooperation of regional countries in Afghanistan, whose stability is vital for the propensity of the region. The process involves 15 participating countries, 17 supporting countries, and 12 regional and international organizations.
The conference this year would be unique given the fact that it comes at a time when a flurry of diplomatic initiatives is already underway to end the conflict in Afghanistan. Also, the conference would also see Indian and Pakistan foreign ministers sharing stage after a significant gap.
This would also be the first time when senior leaders of the two countries would meet in an official capacity after the two nations issued a joint statement, calling for the strict observance of ceasefire along the Line of Control.
There is no announcement yet on if a meeting would take place between the two leaders. However, a report in Dawn newspaper, citing diplomatic sources, said “in view of the events taking place around us, we cannot say it’s impossible”.
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