Draft Agra declaration

Published : Jul 29, 2005 00:00 IST

This draft of a declaration was made by the two Foreign Ministers, Jaswant Singh and Abdul Sattar on July 16. They completed it around 2:30 p.m., well after President Pervez Musharraf's breakfast meeting with editors.

The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of the Republic of India,

Sharing a vision of peace, progress and prosperity for their peoples in the twenty-first century,

Resolved to establish lasting peace between the two neighbours,

Cognisant of the benefits of good-neighbourly co-operation between their two countries,

Upholding the principles of respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence,

Resolved to take steps to reduce the risk of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons,

Having met at their retreat in Agra on July 15-16, 2001 and held wide-ranging discussions on Pakistan-India relations, particularly on Jammu and Kashmir,

Having affirmed their commitment to addressing each other's expressed concerns and creating an environment conducive to the establishment of peaceful, friendly and cooperative ties, for the welfare of the peoples of the two countries.

Agree to the following:

1. Settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue would pave the way for normalisation of relations between the two countries.

2. There was progress in the discussions towards an understanding of each other's viewpoints. Thee was also recognition of the requirement of keeping the door open for future dialogue. There was agreement on continuing the process of dialogue.

3. The two sides will resume a sustained dialogue at the political level on:

(a) Jammu and Kashmir;

(b) Peace and Security, including both conventional and nuclear CBMs;

(c) Terrorism and Drug Trafficking.

4. The following will be addressed at the appropriate level of officials of the two countries:

(a) Economic and Commercial Cooperation;(b) Siachen;

(c) Wullar Barrage / Tulbul Navigation Project;

(d) Sir Creek;

(e) Promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields.

The progress on these issues would be reviewed by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan and the External Affairs Minister of India at their meetings.

5. The President and the Prime Minister further agreed and directed that all these issues be addressed purposefully, constructively and in an integrated manner, with a sense of urgency.

6. There was also agreement on the following dialogue structure:

(a) Annual Summit level meetings;

(b) Bi-annual meetings between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and Minister of External Affairs of India;

(c) Foreign Office consultations at the level of Foreign Secretaries.

7. The two sides will support reactivation of the SAARC process and the holding of the Eleventh Summit on a date convenient to the host country and other Member States of the Association.

8. The President of Pakistan invited the Prime Minister of India to visit Pakistan. The invitation was accepted. Dates would be fixed through diplomatic channels.

9. The President and the Prime Minister also agreed to meet again in New York in September 2001 during the session of the UN General Assembly.

The President of Pakistan thanked the Prime Minister of India for the warm reception and gracious hospitality extended to him and his delegation during their stay, as well as for the excellent arrangements for the visit.

General Pervez Musharraf President Of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Prime Minister Of the Republic of India

Agra 16 July 2001
Sign in to Unlock member-only benefits!
  • Bookmark stories to read later.
  • Comment on stories to start conversations.
  • Subscribe to our newsletters.
  • Get notified about discounts and offers to our products.
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment