Pakistan and India began talks on Friday to resolve a border dispute over a river estuary, as rivals make efforts to revive a peace process derailed by the 2008 Mumbai attack. The south Asian neighbours conducted a survey of the Sir Creek estuary in 2007 as part of a peace process begun in 2004, before the Mumbai attack brought the process to a halt.
The two sides agreed to resume the process in February and held trade talks last month on boosting economic ties. They last held talks on Sir Creek in 2007, officials said. "The talks were held in a very cordial atmosphere and there has been progress," said a Pakistani official familiar with the talks, who declined to be identified. The two sides are expected to meet again on Saturday and issue a joint statement, the official said.
The dispute over the 100-km (60-mile) estuary has hampered exploration for oil and gas and led to the detention of hundreds of fishermen from the two countries when they stray across the poorly demarcated border. The Sir Creek issue is one of the more easily resolved issues between India and Pakistan, analysts say, and could lead to progress on more contentious disputes.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.