By IANS,
New Delhi : Ahead of the talks between foreign secretaries of the two countries, India Monday said it did not expect “big solutions” to decades-old problems with Pakistan, specially at a time when that country is going through “many upheavals”, but stressed that the focus was on continuing the engagement.
“These problems have been there for the last 60 years and you do not expect big solutions in six days or six weeks or in six months,” External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters when asked about the prospects of progress in the peace talks with Pakistan.
With Pakistan going through political turmoil and a new prime minister in charge in Islamabad, Krishna underlined the need to keep up the dialogue process, which was revived only in February last year after a long hiatus following the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
“I think whole thrust is to keep Pakistan engaged and keep talking to them. They are also going through many upheavals in that country. So we will have to provide space for them to settle down and India which is a country which is stable and growing, will have to think,” he said.
Asked whether India would take up the issue of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, Krishna said the two countries need to make sincere efforts to live as good neighbours.
“Things are getting normalised with Pakistan. It is our fond hope that a sincere effort from both countries to live as good neighbours has to be adopted. India has always been willing to do that. I hope that Pakistan will respond,” he said.
Krishna’s comments came barely days before Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai will hold talks here with his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani in the first week of July.