S.M. Krishna says to visit Pakistan on July 15

S.M. Krishna says to visit Pakistan on July 15

Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said on Tuesday he had accepted an invitation from his Pakistani counterpart to visit Islamabad for talks on July 15, a further sign of improving ties between the rival countries.


"I'm looking forward to these talks," Krishna told a news conference in New Delhi after speaking with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi by telephone on Tuesday.

Last month, the prime ministers of nuclear-armed India and Pakistan held talks in Bhutan and asked their officials to take steps as soon as possible to normalise relations.

"It was a good conversation that we had," Qureshi told reporters, according to comments broadcast on Indian television channels.

"I'm presuming that both sides are comfortable with the structure in place (for improving relations)," he said.

Relations between the the two countries went into a diplomatic freeze after India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.