Pakistan Monday said it expects to see "some forward movement" on the Siachen issue during foreign secretary-level talks in May while noting that the two sides were "very close to an agreement" at one stage.
"We have been discussing Siachen dispute. At one stage, we were very close to an agreement. We do hope that when concerned secretaries meet we will have some forward movement," Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters in Islamabad.
Defence secretaries of both the countries are scheduled to meet in New Delhi on May 23 and 24 to hold third round of talks on Siachen under the present composite dialogue process.
National Security Adviser M K Narayanan had said last week that the two countries were "closer" to a "final point" of resolution of the Siachen issue.
The two countries had in 2005 reached an understanding to disengage the world's highest battlefield and are discussing modalities to do that. India, which is holding strategically important positions on the 72-km glacier, has been insisting on proper authentication by both countries of the present deployment.
Negotiations are now mainly concentrated on the modalities of the authentication.
Replying to another question, she said no dates have been finalised for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan.
"We have seen reports that it will take place in June or July. But we do not have any dates yet," she said adding, an invitation from Pakistan is pending in this regard.
