ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj will arrive in Islamabad on December 8 to participate in the two-day Heart of Asia Conference, according to Indian media.
Sushma Swaraj will be accompanied by the Indian Foreign Secretary S. J. Shankar, the Indian media reports added.
However, her arrival in Pakistan has not been confirmed formally by the Indian government.
The Heart of Asia Conference is scheduled next week in Islamabad and its inauguration will be carried out by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
“The theme of the Conference is “Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process: Enhanced Cooperation for Countering Security Threats and Promoting Connectivity in the Heart of Asia Region,” the Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said at his weekly media briefing in Islamabad on December 3.
The spokesman further told that agenda of the Heart of Asia Conference is aimed at cementing regional ties.
It also aimed at expanding cooperation among Afghanistan and regional partners in countering terrorism and elimination of poverty and extremism, he said.
Sushma Swaraj will be the highest ranking Indian official to visit Pakistan since Narendra Modi took charge at the Prime Minister Office in New Delhi in May 2014.
The Indian foreign minister is also expected to hold separate meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on the sidelines of the conference.
Qazi Khalilullah also reiterated in his press briefing that Pakistan wants result oriented dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir and promote bilateral relations.
Besides Indian foreign minister, the participation of foreign ministers of China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran and Afghanistan in the Heart of Asia Conference has already been confirmed.
