Foreign Ministers of India and Pak to meet in New York

Foreign ministers of India and Pakistan will meet in New York later this month with terror issues and progress in Mumbai attack probe likely to be on the agenda in the first high level contact between the two countries after the Singh-Gilani summit in July.

Foreign ministers of India and Pakistan will meet in New York later this month with terror issues and progress in Mumbai attack probe likely to be on the agenda in the first high level contact between the two countries after the Singh-Gilani summit in July.

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SM Krishna and Shah Mehmood Qureshi will meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and their talks will be preceded by the meeting of their Foreign Secretaries Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir.

Ahead of these meetings, Krishna on Thursday put the onus on Pakistan to unveil the conspiracy behind the Mumbai attack and ruled out meaningful dialogue till concrete action is taken against those responsible.

The firm message was sent out by Krishna who said it is for Pakistan to determine the kind of relationship that it wants to have with India.

Talking about the Mumbai attacks, he said it was launched from Pakistan and the conspiracy was hatched there. "Clearly, the onus is on Pakistan to unveil the conspiracy," he said, adding India had sought to "assist" them in that task by providing vital evidence.

"Any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan can only be based on fulfilment of its commitment, in letter and spirit, not to allow its territory to be used in any manner for terrorist activities against India," Krishna asserted.

Qureshi said in Islamabad yesterday that it is Pakistan's desire there should be positive movement in talks with India and he was looking forward to meeting Krishna.

The previous high level contact was in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm-el-Sheikh when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the NAM summit in July.