CCS outlines agenda of Natwar, Kasuri talks

For Singh, this will be his third meeting with Kasuri — the first held in Qingdao in June and the next held earlier this month in Jakarta. The two are slated to meet here again next month for a review of the composite dialogue process, which will be preceded by a meeting of the foreign secretaries of the two nations.

He will also pay a courtesy call to President Pervez Musharraf, where he will spell out a message from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, conveying the UPA government’s resolve to continue with the ongoing peace process.

‘‘We discussed and reviewed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and also reviewed the discussion going on between India and Pakistan,’’ Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after the three-hour meeting.

Mukherjee said Singh briefed the committee on the discussions he had had with Kasuri in Jakarta. He also detailed the talks on nuclear confidence-building measures that need to be put in place.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil briefed the CCS on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, said Mukherjee, adding that the proposed talks with the Hurriyat Conference will continue.

Singh, on his part, spent the day confabulating with scholars from institutions like the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Central Policy Research, who are experts in SAARC issues. Those he met him included S.D. Muni, Charan Wadhwa, Indra Nath Mukherjee and Nagesh Kumar.

Underlining the importance of strengthening regional cooperation, the scholars recommended to focus on trade, health and population policies. They also emphasised on general infrastructure development in the region. They also asked Singh to look at increasing fellowships and chairs to promote South Asian studies.