External Affairs Minister S M Krishna Krishna left here for home on Sunday after concluding his three-day 'fruitful' visit to Pakistan during which the two countries made progress on people-to-people contact by inking pacts on a liberalised visa regime and cultural exchanges.
Over 'ghazals' by maestro Ghulam Ali, foreign ministers of India and Pakistan dined at the end of their hectic deliberations on various bilateral issues in Islamabad.
India on Saturday made it clear to Pakistan that the issue of the 2008 Mumbai attacks was still "very much on the table" and the matter cannot be "glossed over". It asserted that Pakistan must take action to bring to justice the perpetrators of the brazen assault on India's financial hub that left 166 people dead.
Pakistan on Saturday released all Indian fishermen who have completed their jail terms as a goodwill gesture for External Affairs Minister S M Krishna's visit to Islamabad. "All Indian fishermen who have completed their jail term have been released as a goodwill gesture for Krishna's visit," Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said after signing the new liberalised visa agreement with the Indian minister.
India and Pakistan on Saturday agreed to adopt a forward-looking approach in normalising their ties, while recognising the need to "expeditiously" bring perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attack to justice. Both External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar emphasised the need for the two countries to set the sight on the future and not be held "hostage" by the past.
India on Saturday refused to give a firm commitment on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan, saying that the atmosphere has to be "ripe" and something "worthwhile" should come out from such a trip. Making it clear that Dr Singh was "not shying away" from visiting Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the Indian premier had never put conditions for his Pakistan visit.
India and Pakistan on Saturday signed the much-awaited liberalised visa agreement, introducing for the first time group tourist and pilgrim visas, separate visas for businessmen and visa on arrival for those over 65 years of age. The new pact, signed between External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik, replaces a 38-year-old restrictive visa agreement and will pave the way for time-bound visa approval.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Friday arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit to Pakistan to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, saying he had come with a mandate for building trust and confidence between the two countries. "I wish to reiterate the desire of India to see a stable and prosperous Pakistan living in peace with itself and the world. That would be in the best interest of everyone," Krishna said in an arrival statement.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said he is sincerely hoping that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will "seriously" consider his request to join the government.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday held bilateral meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Syrian Premier Wael Nader al-Halqi during which they took stock of their ties and discussed regional and global issues.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday began a key meeting in Tehran, amid clear indications that terrorism will be the prime focus of the Indian side.
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Thursday berated the UN Security Council as a "flagrant form of dictatorship" while terming the US and its Western allies as "bullies" trying to monopolise nuclear fuel production, as he asserted Tehran's right to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday accused the United States of killing people in "large numbers and in organised ways" in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan and also blamed the UNSC for the crisis in the Middle East.
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Thursday asked Iran to build "international confidence" in its nuclear programme by fully complying with the global obligations under NPT and cooperating with IAEA, shortly after Tehran slammed the UNSC for being "unjust and completely undemocratic".
The two-day meet of the 120-nation grouping, which began with the national anthem of Iran followed by the recitation of the verses from the holy Quran, was inaugurated by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the leaders' Summit hall in Northern Tehran.
With the Supreme Court upholding the death sentence on the Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, India's case for action against others involved in the Mumbai terror attacks got strengthened ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in Teheran on Tuesday.
Two months after he quit as President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed on Thursday said India had "bungled" by not recognising the changeover as a "coup" and wants it to use "coercive" means against the new government to ensure fresh elections within this year.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concluded his three-day visit to Bali on Saturday, where he attended the India-ASEAN meet and East Asia Summit, besides holding talks with US President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.
Commerce ministers of the three countries, who met in Pretoria on Tuesday, also decided to hold formal annual trilateral talks to boost intra-IBSA trade.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday arrived at Pretoria on a three-day visit to attend the trilateral India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit during which he is expected to focus on global issues like the difficult economic scenario and United Nations reforms.
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