India and Pakistan concluded their two-day talks on the Permanent Indus Commission by issuing a joint statement that calls for meeting more frequently to resolve the issues through bilateral talks. 

The meeting, which took place after a gap of almost two years, was termed “cordial” in the joint statement. The delay, the statement said, was due to the Covid-19 situation. However, the real reason was the thorny relations between the two neighbors. 

In the meeting, Pakistan sought information on various projects being planned by India for development. India assured that it would be supplied “as and when required to be supplied under the provision of the treaty.”

“Discussions continued on designs of two Indian projects, namely, Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW). Indian side held that these projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the Treaty and provided technical data in support of its position,” reads the joint statement issued on Wednesday. 

Importantly, the meeting came at a time when the two nations are trying to take small, yet significant, steps to restore normalcy in their bilateral ties. Earlier, the armed forces of both countries had issued a joint statement calling for the strict observance of the 2003 ceasefire understanding.