Resumption of talks with Pakistan a 'conscious decision'

New York (PTI) - India's move to resume talks with
Pakistan on all outstanding issues was a "conscious decision",
Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Friday said,
adding that it was "necessary" for both sides to also discuss
Afghanistan.
"It is a conscious decision that was made," Krishna, who
arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit, told PTI.
Krishna, who is here on his first visit to the United
Nations after India became a non-permanent member for a
two-year term last month, said: "We will have to sort out all
the outstanding issues between our two countries."
"We are hopeful the talks between the foreign
secretaries will go in a direction that is positive and pave
the way for a bigger meeting (between the foreign ministers)
whenever that will be," he added.
The composite dialogue between the two sides were put on
hold after 10 Pakistani terrorist carried out coordinated
attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, killing 166 people. Before
entering into talks with Pakistan again, India wanted the
perpetrators of the attack to be brought to justice.
Responding to why India was now agreeing to talks,
Krishna said, "Nothing is static in relationships between
countries."
The minister, however, stressed that New Delhi still
expected Islamabad to act expeditiously on the Mumbai attacks.
"India expects that Pakistan will take continue to take
steps to bring to justice all those perpetrators of the
Mumbai attacks," he said.
"Having taken that position it is necessary for our two
countries to engage on various other issues where we will be
able to come to reasonable agreements, which will be
beneficial to the people for both the countries," he added.
The stage was set for renewed talks when India's Foreign
Secretary Nirupama Rao met her Pakistani counterpart Salman
Bashir in Thimphu on Sunday.
The talks will include issues like Siachen, Kashmir,
counter-terrorism, peace and security, economic issues,
humanitarian issues, the Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation
Project and Afghanistan.
Krishna also said that it was "necessary" for India
and Pakistan to discuss Afghanistan.
"I think it was necessary for us to discuss
Afghanistan... India has been playing a very positive role in
trying to build Afghanistan in terms of our volunteers who
have gone there for capacity building and so I think
Afghanistan had to be included," he said.
Afghanistan is the new item on the agenda for
discussion.
So far, Pakistan has been wary of India's ties with
Kabul. Islamabad continuously questions why New Delhi has so
many consulates in Afghanistan. Pakistan also accuses India of
using Afghanistan as a base to establish a military presence
against it on its eastern border.
A recent report published by New York University claimed
that concerns of Kabul and New Delhi becoming too close in the
post-2001 period, was one reason why Pakistan was hesitant to
act against Taliban and Al Qaeda.