Officials said during the talks the two sides will exchange maps, based on a joint survey, depicting the maritime boundary as each country sees it.
ISLAMABAD: Officials from India and Pakistan would hold two-day talks from Thursday in Rawalpindi in yet another attempt to resolve the dispute over Sir Creek, the 65 mile marshy strip off Gujarat coast, amid optimism generated by finalisation of maps.
Officials said during the talks the two sides will exchange maps, based on a joint survey, depicting the maritime boundary as each country sees it.
The Indian delegation headed by Surveyor General M. Gopal Rao will hold parleys with the Pakistan team to iron out differences and work out some level of convergence on a possible solution to the dispute.
After the failure to make any headway on the issue of demilitarisation of Siachen glacier at the last month's talks, Indian officials are hopeful of thrashing out a solution based on the maps worked out during a month-long joint survey in January this year.
There is a great deal of disappointment after the failure of talks on Siachen. "There is, however, a positive streak to Sir Creek talks because we believe it is doable," an Indian official said.
The joint survey has given a semblance of hope and both sides have already exchanged the survey maps.
Officials on both sides believe that a positive outcome on Sir Creek talks, a part of the fourth round of the Composite Dialogue Process would enable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to finalise his much awaited visit to Pakistan.
The determination of the coastline was essential for both countries to notify the maritime economic zone to the UN Convention on Law of the Sea of which both Pakistan and India are signatories.
The convention requires that all maritime boundary disputes be resolved by 2009 failing which UN may declare them as international waters.
Sir Creek is one of the issues being discussed under the composite dialogue process between the two countries which has completed three rounds.
The Indian delegation for tomorrow's talks included Chief Naval Hydrographer Rear Admiral B R Rao.
The joint survey of Sir Creek has been conducted on land as well off the coast to verify the outermost points of coastlines in the disputed area on the principle of equidistance method. This was the second survey of the strip.
The first survey conducted last year covered the horizontal section of the creek.
India says the boundary should be in the middle of the estuary, while Pakistan wants the border form the south-east bank. The joint survey verified the outermost points and prepare maps based on which a solution could be hammered out.
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