'Political will needed on Siachen'

Pakistani Foreign Minister Kasuri says the Siachen issue could be settled if the two countries displayed the political will.

Insisting that a "lot of progress" had been made with India on the vexed Siachen issue, Pakistan on Saturday said it could be settled if the two countries displayed the political will.

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"Our position is clear. We understand that there has been a lot of progress and it requires some meetings, and given the political will it should be resolved," Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri said in New Delhi.

Kasuri was talking to reporters on his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on a three-day private visit during which he will meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and hold informal discussions on bilateral issues.

When reporters referred to his earlier statement of about a fortnight ago that a resolution of Siachen was a matter of days, Kasuri said he had said that in a certain context.

"I had said that given the political will, it can be resolved in a few weeks or few days," he clarified.