New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will travel to Pakistan today for a multilateral conference in Islamabad, where she will also hold talks with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz.
Ms Swaraj is likely to call on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well.
"External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to lead Indian delegation for 'Heart of Asia' 5th Ministerial Meeting on Afghanistan on December 9 in Islamabad," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.
Swaraj's visit comes two days after talks between the National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan yesterday in Bangkok, where they discussed terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir and a range of key bilateral issues apart from agreeing to carry forward the "constructive" engagement.
In Islamabad, Aziz told reporters that Swaraj is arriving tomorrow to attend the 'Heart of Asia' Conference and during her visit she will also call on Sharif.
Aziz said the deadlock in Indo-Pak ties had eased to some extent.
During his talks with Swaraj, Aziz said various matters with focus on resumption of composite dialogue process between the two countries will be discussed.
The US has welcomed the “normalisation of relations” between both countries and Swaraj’s visit to Pakistan.
“We are pleased that Pakistan is hosting the Heart of Asia Summit. We are also encouraged that President Ashraf Ghani (Afghanistan), Indian minister of external affairs Swaraj, and other senior officials will be attending,” a state department spokesperson said in Washington.
China has also expressed that it was happy to see a thawing of relations between India and Pakistan.
"We sincerely hope the two countries will continue to improve their relations and make joint efforts for the region's stability and development," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing on Monday.
During her visit, Swaraj will be accompanied by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who was also present during the four-hour-long meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Naseer Janjua in the Thai capital.
Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy had told media on Monday that the nation will be informed about the outcomes of Swaraj’s meetings after her return.
"Tomorrow (Tuesday) Sushma Swaraj is leaving for Islamabad and will give a statement after coming back," Rudy said.
"Tomorrow (Tuesday) Sushma Swaraj is leaving for Islamabad and will give a statement after coming back," Rudy said.
"The government will brief in detail on talks in both houses (parliament) once Sushma Swaraj returns from Islamabad," he added.
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