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Sushma Swaraj, Sartaj Aziz likely to meet in Nepal during SAARC Summit

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz are likely to meet on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit in Nepal, said sources on Monday.

Sushma Swaraj & Sartaj Aziz

Quoting diplomatic sources, The Express Tribune reported that India and Pakistan were exploring the possibility of a meeting between Swaraj and Aziz and also between the foreign secretaries of the two countries in the Nepalese tourist city of Pokhara.

Both Sushma and Aziz will be in Pokhara for the SAARC Council of Foreign Minister’s meeting on March 16 and 17.

One of the senior Pakistani officials told that Islamabad was ready to resume the dialogue at any time and was also open to the meeting between Aziz and Swaraj in Nepal. However, he added that Pakistan till now hasn’t received any proposal from India for the meeting between the two leaders in Nepal.

“There is no proposal as of now for the meeting in Nepal but Pakistan will respond positively if India approaches us for this purpose,” the Pakistani official said.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup last week said that no schedule of bilateral meetings in Nepal have been drawn up with Pakistan or any other country.

The meetings, if held, will provide an opportunity to the two sides to discuss the much-delayed talks between the foreign secretaries, who were to meet in Islamabad in January.

“These meetings will prepare the ground for the 37th session of the council of ministers on March 17 which will be attended by the foreign ministers of SAARC,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup had said at a media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday.

“Joint secretary (SAARC), Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be proceeding to Nepal for SAARC-related meetings in Pokhara between March 14 and 17,” Swarup said.

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