Sharm el-Sheikh (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The much anticipated meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani marked a step towards closer relations between the two countries. The two leaders talked about how to ensure that the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks are brought to justice and how the two nations cooperate in the fight against terrorism.
Mr Singh welcomed Gilani’s reassurance that Pakistan would do everything in its power to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks in November of last year.
India and Pakistan also agreed to share real-time, credible and actionable information on any future terror threats.
The bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of the 15th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Expectations are especially high in India but public opinion is divided over the wisdom to renew peace talks with Pakistan, with some still viewing India’s neighbour as an unreliable partner.
New Delhi has insisted that Islamabad make a clear commitment in the struggle against terrorism, putting pressure on the Pakistanis to dismantle extremist groups operating on its territory.
But relations between the two nations are complicated by tensions over Kashmir and the presence in Pakistan of terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim who masterminded attacks in Mumbai in March 1993 when 13 bombs killed more than 250 people and wounded another 700.
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