Secy-level talks by end of August

ISLAMABAD-The second round between Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan would be held sometime in the last week of August and the officials at Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both the states were working out the details, sources informed The Nation. The sources said that the Foreign Ministers of both the countries were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly meeting in the second half of September and obviously the Secretary-level meeting would be held before thar time to set the agenda of talks for Foreign Ministers of the two states. These sources further informed that the Indian Secretary External Affairs Shivshankar Menon was retiring in a month or so and he would likely be replaced by Ms Nirupama Rao, currently serving as Ambassador in China and most likely the next Secretary-level contact between the two states would be made after this change. These sources further informed that the venue for the upcoming talks was yet to be finalized. In this connection, the officials of Foreign Ministries of both states were in contact, and once the new Secretary External Affairs in India would assume charge, it would be finalized.

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