February 16, 2010

According to the Wall Street Journal last week, Pakistan and India are likely to soon hold their first talks since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. The likely venue and date would be New Delhi on February 25, attended by the foreign secretaries of each nation.

“We will go to Delhi with an open mind and steer the discussions towards a positive direction,” the Journal quoted Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, who will lead his delegation in the talks.

Bashir said the discussions would cover all issues concerning the two countries. India reportedly initiated the invitation to resume talks, but has only said that it is interested in discussing terror and other “relevant” issues.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs would not confirm that Feb. 25 had been agreed upon for the talks. The talks have been encouraged by the U.S. government, and hold out the potential of ending the prolonged diplomatic standoff between Pakistan and India.

Read the full Wall Street Journal article here