On September 14, 2005, a Joint Statement was released after the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf in New York. Presented below is the full text of the statement:
Joint Statement, India - Pakistan in New York 14/09/2005
The following India-Pakistan Joint Statement was issued after a meeting of Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan at New York on September 14, 2005 on the sidelines of the Plenary meeting of 60th UN-General Assembly Session.
"Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf met in New York on September 14, 2005 and reviewed progress in their relations since they last met in New Delhi on April 18, 2005. The two leaders referred to the earlier statements of January 6, 2004 and April 18, 2005 and reiterated their pledge that they would not allow terrorism to impede the peace process.
They reaffirmed their commitment to the decisions taken at their meeting in New Delhi and agreed to expedite their implementation. They also welcomed the progress made within the framework of the composite dialogue, including promotion of trade and economic relations, people to people contacts and confidence building measures. They also welcomed the recent release of prisoners on both sides and agreed to continue this process on a humanitarian basis.
They expressed their commitment to ensure a peaceful settlement of all pending issues including Jammu and Kashmir to the satisfaction of both sides. They agreed that possible options for a peaceful, negotiated settlement in this regard should continue to be pursued in a sincere spirit and purposeful manner."
New York September 14, 2005
Source: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Delhi.
On April 18, 2005, at the end of Pakistan President Gen. Musharraf's visit, India and Pakistan released a joint statement. Presented below is the full text of the statement:
18/04/2005
1. The President of Pakistan, His Excellency General Pervez Musharraf and Begum Sehba Musharraf visited New Delhi as guests of the Prime Minister of India and Shrimati Gursharan Kaur on 16 to 18 April 2005.
2. While in New Delhi, the President of Pakistan called on the President of India. He also had a meeting with the Prime Minister of India, who hosted a dinner in his honour. The President also watched the last one-day international cricket match between India and Pakistan.
3. The President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India used the opportunity provided by the visit to review progress in Pakistan-India relations. They assessed positively the progress that had been made so far through confidence building, people-to-people contacts and enhancing areas of interactions and determined to build on the momentum already achieved.
4. They reaffirmed the commitments made in the Joint Press Statement of January 6, 2004 and the Joint Statement issued after their meeting in New York on September 24, 2004 and expressed satisfaction on the progress in the peace process and the improvement of relations between the two countries that has since been realized.
5. Conscious of the historic opportunity created by the improved environment in relations and the overwhelming desire of the peoples of the two countries for durable peace and recognizing their responsibility to continue to move forward towards that objective, the two leaders had substantive talks on all issues. They determined that the peace process was now irreversible.
6. In this spirit the two leaders addressed the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and agreed to continue these discussions in a sincere and purposeful and forward looking manner for a final settlement. They were satisfied with the discussions and expressed their determination to work together to carry forward the process and to bring the benefit of peace to their people.
7. They also agreed to pursue further measures to enhance interaction and cooperation across the LoC including agreed meeting points for divided families, trade, pilgrimages and cultural interaction.
8. They condemned attempts to disrupt the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and welcomed its successful operationalisation. The two leaders pledged that they would not allow terrorism to impede the peace process.
9. They decided to increase the frequency of the bus service and also decided that trucks would be allowed to use this route to promote trade. They also agreed to operationalise additional routes including that between Poonch and Rawalakot. They also look forward to early start of the bus service between Amritsar and Lahore and to religious places such as Nankana Sahib.
10. They agreed to re-establish the Khokhrapar-Munnabao route by 1st January 2006.
11. They agreed that the Consulates General of the two countries in Mumbai and Karachi respectively would be opened before the end of the current year.
12. They endorsed the decisions taken in the meeting of Foreign Secretaries of the two countries on 27-28 December 2004, and the Foreign Minister on 15-17 February 2005, on the schedule of meetings later in the year, the agreements to be worked upon through these meetings and the measures to be taken to alleviate the situation of prisoners.
13. On the issues of Sir Creek and Siachen, they instructed that the existing institutional mechanisms should convene discussions immediately with a view to finding mutually acceptable solutions to both issues expeditiously.
14. It was agreed that the Ministers of Petroleum and Natural Gas would meet in May to explore cooperation in the sector including on the issue of pipelines.
15. Both leaders agreed that enhanced economic and commercial cooperation would contribute to the well-being of the peoples of the two countries and bring a higher level of prosperity for the region. The two leading economies of South Asia should work together for the greater prosperity of the region.
16. The leaders decided to reactivate the Joint Economic Commission as early as possible. They also agreed that the Joint Business Council should meet soon.
17. The President of Pakistan conveyed his gratitude for the hospitality provided during the visit and invited the Prime Minister to visit Pakistan. The invitation was accepted in principle. Mutually agreed dates would be worked out through diplomatic channels.
New Delhi
April 18, 2005
Source: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi
A joint India-Pakistan statement was released after the respective Foreign Ministers of the two countries, Natwar Singh and Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, met in New Delhi on September 5 and 6, 2004, to review status of the Composite Dialogue. Following is the full text of the statement:
External Affairs Minister of India, H.E. Shri. K. Natwar Singh and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Khurshid M. Kasuri, met in New Delhi on September 5 and 6, 2004 to review status of the Composite Dialogue. Their meeting was preceded by a meeting between the Foreign Secretary of India Shri Shyam Saran and Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Mr. Riaz H. Khokhar on September 4, 2004. The talks were held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere.
2. They reiterated their commitment to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and their determination to implement the Simla Agreement in letter and spirit.
3. The Foreign Ministers expressed satisfaction at the progress made so far, and positively assessed the developments in bilateral relations over the past year.
4. Recalling the reassurance contained in the Joint Press Statement of January 6, 2004, they exchanged views on carrying the process forward in an atmosphere free from terrorism and violence.
5. The Ministers held detailed and substantive discussions and reiterated the confidence that the Composite Dialogue will lead to peaceful settlement of all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, to the satisfaction of both sides. They agreed to continue with the serious and sustained dialogue to find a peaceful negotiated final settlement. They expressed their determination to take the process forward.
6. The wide ranging proposals on confidence building, promotion of friendly exchanges, and enhancing trade and economic cooperation, made by both the sides, were examined and it was agreed that these would be discussed further.
7. The Ministers agreed on the following:
(a) Expert level meetings on Conventional and Nuclear CBMs, inter alia, to discuss the draft agreement on advance notification of missile tests;
(b) Meeting between railway authorities on the Munnabao - Khokhrapar rail link;
(c) Biannual meeting between Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers in October 2004;
(d) Meeting between Narcotics Control Authorities, including for finalisation of an MOU in October/ November 2004;
(e) Meeting between the Indian Coast Guards and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency in November 2004 to, inter alia, discuss the Memorandum of Understanding for establishing communication link between them;
(f) Establishment of Committee of Experts to consider issues related to trade;
(g) On Siachen, the outcome of the August 2004 meeting of Defence Secretaries would be implemented;
(h) Joint Survey of the boundary pillars in the horizontal segment (blue dotted line) of the international boundary in the Sir Creek area;
(i) Meeting on all issues related to commencement of a bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad;
(j) Add a new category of Tourist Visa in the visa regime between the two countries, and to promote group tourism;
(k) Set up a mechanism to deal with the issue of civilian prisoners and fishermen, effectively and speedily;
(l) Further measures for facilitation of visits to religious shrines, and upkeep of historical sites;
(m) Enhanced interaction and exchanges among the respective Foreign Offices, including study tours of young diplomats/probationers to each other’s country.
9. They recognized the importance of availability and access to energy resources in the region around South Asia. The Ministers of Petroleum/ Gas could meet to discuss the issue in its multifarious dimensions.
10. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan met the National Security Adviser, Mr. J.N. Dixit, and also called on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, during his stay in India.
11. The two sides agreed to the continuation of high level meetings and visits, including :
(a) a meeting between President Musharraf and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New York on the margins of UNGA later in September 2004;
(b) a visit by Pakistan’s Prime Minister to India as Chairperson of SAARC;
(c) a meeting between the Prime Minister of India and Pakistan’s Prime Minister in Dhaka, in January 2005, on the margins of the SAARC Summit.
12. It was also agreed that the two Foreign Secretaries would meet in December 2004 to discuss overall progress, as well as subjects of Peace and Security including CBMs, and Jammu and Kashmir, in the Composite Dialogue. They would also work out the schedule of meetings on the other six subjects, i.e. Siachen; Wullar Barrage/ Tulbul Navigation Project; Sir Creek; Terrorism and Drug Trafficking; Economic and Commercial Cooperation; and Promotion of Friendly Exchanges in Various Fields, under the Composite Dialogue.
13. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan invited the External Affairs Minister of India to visit Pakistan. The invitation was accepted and the dates would be worked out through diplomatic channels.
New Delhi September 8, 2004
Source: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi.