SAARC: Sushma to meet Aziz on sidelines of meet today

The two-day meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Council of Foreign Ministers is slated to begin in Pokhara in Nepal today where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on the sidelines of the meeting.

The Foreign Secretaries of all SAARC countries yesterday discussed ways to implement plans to improve connectivity, counter terrorism, and other issues.

Swaraj along with her counterparts from SAARC countries will discuss the progress made on the programmes approved at the last summit of the regional association at Kathmandu in 2014.

Aziz, who will meet Sushma today, told the media earlier that he is ready to discuss anything his Indian counterpart wanted to.

"The meeting is of course to hand over the invitation for the SAARC Summit, but anything that she ( Sushma Swaraj) wants to discuss, we will discuss," said Aziz.

On being asked about other discussions like the recent Pathankot terror in India's airbase, Aziz evaded the question.

Aziz, however, said that the Pakistan 's special investigation team will soon be visiting India to probe the attack.

Swaraj is expected to raise the Pathankot terror attack with Aziz during the meeting on the sidelines of SAARC.

This development comes amid the stalled Foreign Secretary-level talks between both nations following the impasse over the probe of the January 2016 Pathankot Air Base terror attack.

Both the Foreign Ministers met last night during a dinner hosted by Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli ahead of a meeting of SAARC foreign ministers.

The two exchanged pleasantries and sat next to each other during the dinner in the resort town located 200 km northwest of the capital Kathmandu.