Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism are essential for fostering cooperation for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia.
The Prime Minister received a telephone call from Imran Khan in which the Pakistan premier greeted him for the second time on his thumping election victory and voiced the desire to work together for the betterment of the people of the two countries. Modi thanked Khan for the call.
During the conversation that signified a possible thaw in ties that have been in a deep freeze, the Prime Minister recalled his initiatives in line with his government’s Neighbourhood First policy and referred to his earlier suggestion to the Pakistan leader to fight poverty jointly.
He stressed that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism were essential for fostering cooperation for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
Modi will take the oath of office and begin his second successive term in office on May 30. It is not known who will be invited to the swearing-in ceremony.
All SAARC heads of government and state had attended the swearing-in five years ago.
Also, traditionally, the first bilateral visit by Indian prime ministers has been to a SAARC country.
The next SAARC summit is due to be held in Pakistan, which Modi had opted out of after the Uri attacks in 2016.
Both Modi and Khan could also meet on June 13-14 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek next month.
Four days ago, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi had met informally during the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bishkek. At that meeting, Qureshi said Pakistan was committed to pursuing peaceful diplomacy with India.
This is the second time two prime ministers have exchanged pleasantries. On the day of counting of votes on May 23, Khan had in a tweet congratulated Modi on the electoral victory and said that he was “looking forward to work with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia.”
Prime Minister Modi had responded positively to the greetings and said he had always given “primacy to peace and development” in the region.
During the day, the Pakistan foreign office also issued a statement to inform that Prime Minister Khan had spoken to his Indian counterpart and expressed his desire for both countries to work together for the betterment of their peoples.
The statement said Khan reiterated his “vision for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia” and that he looked forward to working with Prime Minister Modi to advance these objectives.
Last month, Khan had said he believed there could be a better chance of peace talks with India and settle the Kashmir issue if Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party emerges victor in the general elections. (UNI)
