Khurshid, Aziz to discuss possibility of Manmohan-Sharif meeting in NY

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will meet his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz in Kyrgyzstan on September 13 during which they are likely to discuss the possibility of a meeting between their respective Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to be held later this month.

Khurshid had earlier this month put the onus on Pakistan to ensure the meeting between the two Prime Ministers.

Khurshid said that a decision on possible talks between Dr. Singh and Sharif will be taken after assessing steps Pakistan takes to address New Delhi's concerns on 'unacceptable' incidents that have taken place in the recent past, particularly along the Line of Control (LoC).

"We are keeping quiet on this and watching. I realise that the time is coming for the New York visit. So, obviously a call will be taken by the Prime Minister at an appropriate stage. But we will not hasten it, as we do not want to jump the gun," Khurshid said.

"I think when some major significant thing goes wrong, many things still remain right but you cannot neglect the major thing that has gone wrong. Decision has to be in the interest of the nation," he added.

While India has appreciated Sharif's regret for the 'loss of precious lives' in the August 6 LoC ceasefire violation, which saw five Indian soldiers dead, New Delhi has insisted that Islamabad must take responsibility for the incident as the ambush would not have been possible without help from Pakistani agencies.

Indian defence analysts have, however, said that Dr. Singh should not hold any talks with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session in New York till the Pakistani Prime Minister ensures that Pakistan soil is not used for terrorist activities in India.