The Meeting of Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan
Date: September 23, 1998
Place: New York

September 24, 1998
New York

Text of Joint Statement issued in New York as on 23rd September, 1998

The Foreign Secretary of India, Shri K. Raghunath, and the Foreign secretary of Pakistan, Mr. Shamshad Ahmad, met in New York on 23rd September, 1998.

Pursuant to the agreement set out in para 4 of the Joint Statement issued at Islamabad on 23 June, 1997, the Foreign Secretaries agreed as follows:-

(i) The mechanism to address all the outstanding issues listed in para 4(i) of the Joint Statement would now be made operational.

(ii) As stipulated in para 4(ii) of the Joint Statement, all the issues shall be addressed substantively and specifically through the agreed mechanism in an integrated manner.

(iii) All outstanding issues shall be dealt with at the levels indicated below:-

(a) Peace and Security including CBMs - Foreign Secretaries
(b) Jammu and Kashmir - Foreign Secretaries
(c) Siachen - Defence Secretaries
(d) Wuller Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project - Secretaries, Water & Power
(e) Sir Creek - Additional Secretary (Defence)/Surveyors General
(f) Terrorism and Drug Trafficking - Home/Interior Secretaries
(g) Economic and Commercial Cooperation - Commerce Secretaries
(h) Promotion of Friendly exchanges in various fields - Secretaries, Culture

(iv) The detailed composition of the official teams is left to the discretion of each side.

The above mentioned subjects of this composite dialogue process will be discussed at the indicated
levels in separate meetings. The dates of these meetings will be determined by mutual consent. At  the each round; the Foreign Secretaries will hold separate meetings on (a) Peace and Security including CBMs and (b) Jammu and Kashmir and review the progress of the dialogue process.

The Foreign Secretaries will commence the substantive dialogue with separate meetings on a (a) Peace and Security including CBMs and (b) Jammu and Kashmir in Islamabad on 15-18 October, 1998. The remaining six subjects i.e. (c) Siachen (d) Wuller Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project, (e)
Sir Creek, (f) Terrorism and Drug Trafficking, (g) Economic and Commercial Cooperation, and (h) Promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields, shall be taken up in substantive and separate meetings in New Delhi in the first half of November, 1998. The cycle of meetings of the Foreign
Secretaries and other concerned officials on the subjects in the agreed agenda will be continued on this pattern on agreed dates.

Press Release Issued By

Navtej Sarna
Counselor (Press, Information & Culture) 
Embassy of India 
Washington, DC