Khurshid to discuss LoC issue with Aziz on ASEM margins

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will have a series of bilateral meetings on the margins of the ASEM foreign ministers' meet on November 11-12 including with his counterparts from Japan, China and Pakistan, with whom he will raise the issue of ceasefire violations along the LoC.
Spokesperson in the MEA Syed Akbaruddin said outcome of the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart in New York in September will form the basis of talks between Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaz Aziz and Khurshid.
"The focus will always be flowing from what was the outcome of the last meeting," he said.

In the meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York in September, Singh had laid down the precondition of end to violations of ceasefire along the LoC for progress towards resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue on various issues.
"And the outcome of the last meeting was that for us the discussions to go forward, the precondition is that there should be peace and tranquility on the LoC and that will be the basis for the discussion in the meeting on the margins," said Akbaruddin.
Aziz is travelling to India to attend the ASEM (Asia- Europe Meeting) foreign ministers meet in Gurgaon, suburbs of national capital.

Last month, Prime Minister Singh had said he was "disappointed" with Sharif as in the New York meeting it was agreed to maintain peace and tranquility on LoC as well as International Border.

Asked whether Aziz will meet the Prime Minister, the MEA spokesperson said the Ministry was yet to get his schedule.
Khurshid will hold bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of a number of countries including China and Japan.
Apart from Aziz, 36 foreign ministers and 12 deputy foreign ministers from Asia and Europe will participate in the ASEM Foreign Ministers' meeting.
The ASEM currently has 51 partners. These include 49 Asian and European nations and two regional groupings - the European Union and ASEAN.