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External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit is unlikely
to see the firming up of any pacts, including liberalisation of
the visa regimes, Indian officials have indicated.
The Indian side discounted the possibility in the wake of media
reports here which suggested that the two sides would sign four
agreements - on nuclear risk reduction, relaxing the visa regimes,
speedy repatriation of inadvertent border- crossers and quarterly
flag meetings between LoC commanders.
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"If there were any expectations on any agreement including
that of liberalisation of visa regime, no preparatory talks have
taken place in the run up to the visit of the External Affairs Minister,"
a senior Indian diplomat said in response to reports in the Pakistan
media that four agreements are likely to take place during Mukherjee's
January 13-14 visit.
There was little chance of the two sides signing an agreement on
"reducing risk of nuclear accidents or unauthorised use of
nuclear weapons," which was reached by the two foreign secretaries
but the draft has not yet been approved by the Indian cabinet, without
which it can not be signed.
Also there was little scope of an agreement to be signed on liberalisation
of the visa regimes of the two sides as Pakistan has responded to
an Indian draft given in 2005 only few days back and no preparatory
discussions have been held on it so far, the official said.
Also preparatory talks have not taken place on any agreement on
speedy repatriation of inadvertent border-crossers and quarterly
flag meetings between sector commanders at the Line of Control as
stated by a media report here recently.
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