UN Chief welcomes India, Pak decision to engage in dialogue

The decision to move the dialogue process forward came during Sushma Swaraj's two-day visit to Islamabad

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon today welcomed the decision by India and Pakistan to engage in a comprehensive dialogue to discuss peace and security issues and hoped for progress in their efforts to resolve their differences "bilaterally" through negotiations.

"We always welcome the efforts by the leaders of India and Pakistan to resolve any of their differences bilaterally through negotiations and we hope that that proceeds," Ban's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told PTI here today.

Haq was asked about the UN Chief's response to India and Pakistan deciding to engage in a "comprehensive" dialogue that will include peace and security and Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision to move the dialogue process forward came during External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's two-day visit to Islamabad where she met Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

The positive developments between the nuclear-armed neighbours come just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharif met briefly in Paris on the sidelines of the Climate Change Summit on November 30.

India and Pakistan today decided that the Foreign Secretaries will meet to decide the modalities and schedule of the dialogue.

The National Security Advisors (NSAs) of India and Pakistan who had recently met in Bangkok, will continue to address all issues connected to terrorism, according to a joint statement issued by the two countries.