India is undecided on whether External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will participate at the 'Heart of Asia' conference for which host Pakistan has invited her, it was officially said here today.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup confirmed that a formal invitation has been received for the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan that will take place in Islamabad on December 7 and 8.
But added that "We are yet to decide on the level of our participation."
The pros and cons of Pakistan's invitation are being weighed with one view being that Swaraj should attend the conference given India's strategic interest in Afghanistan and any low-level participation to the ministerial meet may not be good.
However, a counter view to this was that Swaraj's travel may undermine India's concerns over terror emanating from Pakistan and she may have to hold a bilateral meeting with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz which is not how India wants to sequence its interactions with that country.
Swarup also made it clear that India was "more than willing" to start the process that was agreed in Ufa between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Under the Ufa understanding, the next meeting should be between the National Security Advisors of the two countries on all issues pertaining to terror.
Asked about Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's remarks yesterday that unilateralism and preconditions were a recipe for gridlock in relations and his assertion that "aspirations of Kashmiris can neither be ignored nor suppressed", Swarup said there was nothing new in the comments.
The External Affairs Minister said Foreign Secretary level
talks between the two countries have not been called off. "Neither from our side it has been called off nor from their side," she said.
Insisting that there was a "huge difference" between Pakistan's response to the Pathankot attack and its reaction following terror strikes in the past, Swaraj said the "ease and warmth" of relationship between Modi and Sharif may help find solution to complex problems.
At the same time she added, "It is not that because of the warmth in relationship we will take things lightly and will not remain alert."
Swaraj refered to Modi's unannounced visit to lahore in December last year and Sharif's phone call to the Indian Prime Minister a day ahead of the latter's heart surgery in London last month to highlight the warmth in relationship between the two leaders.
"It is true that there are difficult issues between the two countries. Issues like the UN resolution on Kashmir as referred by you.
"It is impractical to expect their resolution soon or after two-three rounds of talks. But to resolve issues, you need to have relationship. I would like to say there is an ease and warmth in relationshiop between the two prime ministers," she said replying to a question on India's ties with Pakistan.
She said Pakistan used to be in a "denial mode" after terror attacks in India but its attitude after Pathankot assault was totally different.
"It happened for the first time that their Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called up our Prime Mimnister and said 'you give me evidence, I will definitely act on it. It is a huge difference," said Swaraj.
She said there are forces which do not want good relations between the two PMs and better ties between the two neighbours.
Talking about terror, Swaraj pressed for an early adoption of the long-pending Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), noting that it will help tackle the menace of terrorism.
She said so many countries including those in the Gulf region have recognised the need for having a uniform approach to dealing with terrorists.
She also referred to China recently blocking India's bid for putting Masood Azhar on the UN list of proscribed terrorists and said there should be no distinction between good and bad terrorists.
