Jamali expects separate meeting with Vajpayee Saturday, January 3 2004 13:36 Hrs (IST) Islamabad:
Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali expects a "structured summit" with his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the latter's stay in Islamabad.
"There is a possibility that I will have a separate meeting with my Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as the two countries have moved from a dead-end to a silver lining," Jamali said in an interview to 'The News' daily.
"We have achieved some breakthroughs in different areas, and I am hopeful that a breakthrough on ticklish issues will also be achieved this time, if all goes according to my assessment," he said.
The Indian PM will arrive in Islamabad today (Jan 3, 2004) to take part in the three-day South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, beginning tomorrow.
"Ice has been broken with the recent confidence building measures initiated and taken by Pakistan and India," Jamali said.
He said Vajpayee's consent to attend the SAARC summit is in itself a "very positive development and we have been able to come out of the deadlock".
"Prime Minister Vajpayee is a liberal and amiable man. I feel comfortable holding a dialogue" with him, Jamali said.
PTI
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