By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Islamabad : Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, who arrived here Wednesday, described his three-day visit to Pakistan as important and marking a “new beginning” in ties between the two countries.
“I bring with me the warm greetings of the people of India for the well-being of the people of Pakistan,” Krishna told reporters at the airport immediately after his arrival, adding that he brought “best wishes for a peaceful, prosperous and stable Pakistan”.
He stressed that he was looking forward to his meetings with counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other leaders and said: “We have to discuss all issues of mutual interest and concern.”
He said he looked forward to discussing issues raised by Home Minister P. Chidambaram when he visited Pakistan in June and “our core concern of terrorism in the context of the interrogation of (US terror suspect David Coleman) Headley”.
India, the minister added, was committed to solving all issues with Pakistan “based on mutual trust and confidence”.
Accompanying the minister on his trip, the first tangible move aimed at reviving dialogue between India and Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, are Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and other senior officials of the external affairs ministry.