ME News Bureau: After days of speculations and assumptions, India finally confirmed that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met his Pakistani counterpart Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua (retd) in Bangkok on December 26 as part of “operational-level talks”, while maintaining the stand that “talks and terror cannot go together”.
External Affairs Ministry official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, during his weekly press meet, said that he agree talks took place on December 26 in Bangkok. “Yes, I agree talks took place. I also agree that the issue is of terrorism. Talks on terror can go ahead”, Kumar said.
Earlier media reports had said that there was a meeting took place between the two NSAs at a “neutral venue” in Bangkok. But India remained non-committal over Doval’s meeting for days.
Kumar said that the talks were purely based on “operational-level” as both India and Pakistan have a dialogue process also there are other dialogue mechanisms that involve DGMOs and border forces.
“We have said terror and talks cannot go together, but talks on terror can definitely go ahead”, Kumar added.
Results of the NSA talks are yet to be identified whether it helped ease tensions or decreased terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir. 12 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed as well as 79 civilians and 67 security personnel were also injured in the firing from across the border till October.
