High-level India-Pakistan talks held in Bangkok
India and Pakistan have held high-level talks, described as "candid, cordial and constructive”, four months after an earlier postponement.
Handshake between Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif in May 2014
India had initially insisted that any talks should only cover what it refers to as terrorism. But a statement issued after Sunday's meeting in the Thai capital of Bangkok said the security advisers of the two countries had also talked about Kashmir, peace and security.
The Pahalgam Valley, a famous tourist attraction of Kashmir
The statement added,
"It was agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement between the two countries.”
Bangkok was chosen for the venue on Sunday because it was a convenient location for both sides. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, also had an unscheduled meeting at the Paris climate change talks last week.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a statement to the media during his visit to Seychelles in March 2015
Although Indian PM Modi invited his Pakistani counterpart to his inauguration last year, relations have deteriorated since then. The South Asian rivals have fought two wars and a limited conflict over the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan has always reiterated that there cannot be any dialogue with India unless the issue of Kashmir is on the agenda.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the London Conference on Afghanistan in December 2014
Kashmir, claimed by both countries in its entirety, has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years. A ceasefire agreed in 2003 remains in place, but the neighbours often accuse each other of violating it. Cross-border firing along the disputed region of Kashmir have killed dozens of people from both sides.
(All images - credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
