New Delhi
26 June 2009
Minister of External Affairs SM Krishna on Friday met his Pakistani counterpart Shah
Mahmood Qureshi in Trieste, Italy, on the margins of an international conference on
Afghanistan.
Amplifying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent remarks about India - Pakistan relations,
Mr Krishna told Mr Qureshi that the terrorist attacks on India by elements based in Pakistan
were the primary cause of stress in the bilateral ties.
"I conveyed the sentiments of our Prime Minister that we stand ready to meet Pakistan more
than half way to utilise and harness that potential for our mutual benefit. At the same time, we
have to address centrally why our relations come under stress recurrently," a Ministry of
External Affairs statement said quoting Mr Krishna.
Mr Krishna also said that the forthcoming meeting of foreign secretaries, as mandated by Prime
Minister Singh and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari when they met in Yekaterinburg on June
16, was important as it would enable both sides to "take stock of where we stand on the issue of
terrorism" and to ascertain whether Pakistan was fulfilling its commitment to not allow its
territory to be used for terrorist attacks against India.
Mr Krishna also met with Afghanistan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta. He was expected
to meet with his counterparts from Britain, Canada and Italy.
Mr Krishna will visit the Czech Republic on his way back home. He will co-chair an India-
European Union (EU) Troika ministerial meeting in Prague on Monday.
The Troika comprises the present and future chairs of the EU presidency, and the
representatives of the European Commission.
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