Benaulim (Goa), May 4
Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrived in Goa on Thursday to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), becoming the first senior leader from the neighbouring country to visit India in almost 12 years.
Bhutto-Zardari’s visit to India to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting comes amid continuing strain in ties between the two countries on a host of issues including Islamabad’s use of cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Pakistan foreign minister was received at the airport in Goa by JP Singh, the joint secretary heading the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division at the external affairs ministry.
In 2011, Pakistan’s the then foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited India and held talks with her the then counterpart SM Krishna.
“I am very happy to reach Goa to lead the Pakistani delegation at the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting. I expect the SCO CFM meeting to be successful,” Bhutto-Zardari told reporters.
Though there was a buzz in the media about Bhutto-Zardari’s two-day visit to Goa, both the Indian and the Pakistani side appeared to keep each other at arm’s length.
People familiar with official engagements on the sidelines of the SCO conclave said there is no plan for a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bhutto-Zardari so far as there was no request for it from the Pakistani side.
In a tweet with a caption ‘Salaam, from Goa India’, Bhutto-Zardari said: “Assalamualaikum, we have reached Goa for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet.”
“I will first hold a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister. Then, will hold a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister. I will attend the dinner hosted for all the foreign ministers…,” he said in a short video.
Before leaving for Goa, the Pakistani foreign minister said, “My decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of the SCO.”
