New Delhi/New York: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is likely to attend the multilateral ‘Saarc ministerial meeting’ along with Pakistani foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday in New York (late Thursday night) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Session there but is unlikely to have a bilateral meeting.
This will be the first time the two ministers are expected to share the stage after Mr Asif was appointed Pakistani foreign minister several weeks ago. Relations between the two countries have nose-dived sharply ever since the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani by the Army in J&K last year.
Ms Swaraj will also attend a Brics ministerial meeting on Thursday in which China will be a participant which again comes a few weeks after the two nations resolved the military face-off at Doklam. Ms Swaraj on Wednesday called on Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani — on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York — and discussed issues of mutual concerns and bilateral ties. “Boosting strategic partnership with a special friend,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
