The composite dialogue process agreed between India and Pakistan in 1997 took off again in June 2004. After seven years and much tension and conflict, an agreement was reached at Islamabad at the SAARC summit in January this year to resume that process.

The first meeting was on nuclear CBMs from 19-20 June followed by the Foreign Secretary’s ‘peace and security’ and ‘Jammu & Kashmir’ meetings on 27-28 June. The Foreign Ministers met at Islamabad on the sidelines of the SAARC Ministerial meeting in the third week of July. These were followed by meetings on the ‘Wular Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project’, ‘Siachen’ and ‘Sir Creek’ in end July and early August. In no meeting was there a breakthrough and none was expected. The joint statements issued after each meeting expressed the “cordial and constructive atmosphereâ€