Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday said she had come to India with a positive outlook and the relationship between the two countries should not be held hostage to the past.
Ahead of talks with India’s foreign minister S.M. Krishna, Khar said she was looking forward to an interaction which is respectful of the realities between the two nations. “We come here with a positive outlook. We feel the relationship between the two countries should not be held hostage by the past,” Khar said. She said Pakistan seeks good, cooperative and friendly relations with India, which is an important neighbour.
“We also understand the responsibility that both countries have on their shoulders within the region,” she said, adding it was their responsibility not only to work for peace and prosperity but also the welfare of the people of the two countries.
Welcoming Khar on her first visit to India, Krishna said he was looking forward to working very closely with the new foreign minister of Pakistan. “India looks for a cooperative relationship with Pakistan. It is in the interest of peace not only between the two countries but the entire region and beyond. Perhaps we owe this to the succeeding generations, Indians and Pakistanis,” he said.
The minister said India will “love to see a stable, peaceful and prosperous Pakistan”. The minister said the people of South Asia should march forward on the path of development in a terror-free and harmonious atmosphere.