KL Desk
SRINAGAR
After the cancelling Foreign Secretary Level Talks with its SAARC neighbour Pakistan, breaking his silence Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said that India was “disappointed” as Pakistan wanted to make a “spectacle” by meeting Kashmir separatist leaders but said efforts will continue to build peaceful, friendly and cooperative ties with Pakistan, reports said.
Modi, reports said, laid the ‘ground rules’ for future talks, asserting that “any meaningful bilateral dialogue necessarily requires an environment that is free from terrorism and violence”.
In an interaction with media personnel from Japan, he said, “India desires peaceful, friendly and cooperative ties with Pakistan…. India has no hesitation to discuss any outstanding issue with Pakistan within the bilateral framework that has been established under the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration”.
“We were disappointed that Pakistan sought to make a spectacle of these efforts and went ahead with talks with secessionist elements from Jammu & Kashmir in New Delhi just prior to the meeting of the foreign secretaries,” reports quoted as Modi having said.
He added, “We will continue to make efforts to build peaceful, friendly and cooperative ties with Pakistan.”
He recalled that he had a “very good meeting” with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in May, 2014, when he attended the swearing-in ceremony of his government here.
“We together decided that the foreign secretaries should meet and explore how to take relations forward,” he noted.
