PM sees hope for thaw in Siachen

NEW DELHI, APRIL 5: With Pakistan indicating willingness to explore options on authentication of troop positions in Siachen, as The Indian Express reported on Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said he is hopeful that some progress will be made at the two-day meeting of defence secretaries that begins in Islamabad on Friday.

“There are immense opportunities,” said Singh, “and we are working together to resolve our differences.” Earlier in the day, he chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to clear the brief for the Indian side of the talks.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan had indicated a shift and said Pakistan would look at options to take forward the issue of authentication of troop positions. This was corroborated by Pakistan media reports, which said Islamabad was ready to authenticate present troop positions in Siachen if New Delhi agreed not to use it to make legal claims in the future.

For New Delhi, authentication of troop positions was the key issue holding back any move to discuss withdrawal of troops from the world's highest battlefield.

It is, therefore, with renewed hope that Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt left for the two-day talks on Thursday evening. However, sources said that to take things forward would require clarity on several issues. Also that, based on the authentication, Pakistan could seek India's commitment for immediate withdrawal of troops from the glacier. Pakistan has always considered India's presence on the glacier illegal.

These, and other issues, were discussed by the CCS with Dutt on Thursday before clearing his brief.

It is learnt that in case Pakistan takes things forward and makes a formal plan for authentication of troop positions, India will be open to discussion on other aspects.

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