India, Pakistan attend meeting in Vienna on Indus water dispute

New Delhi, September 22

India has taken part in a two-day meeting in Vienna that was part of the proceedings aimed at resolving a dispute between New Delhi and Islamabad on the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting in the Austrian capital city was convened by a neutral expert.

Senior advocate Harish Salve was present at the meeting as India’s lead counsel in the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

“A delegation from India, led by Secretary, Department of Water Resources, attended a meeting of the neutral expert proceedings in the Kishenganga and Ratle matter at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Vienna on September 20 and 21,” it said in a statement.

The meeting was convened by the neutral expert appointed on India’s request under the aegis of the Indus Waters Treaty and was attended by representatives of India and Pakistan, the MEA said.

“India’s participation in this meeting is in line with India’s consistent, principled stand that as per the graded mechanism provided for in the Indus Waters Treaty, the neutral expert proceedings are the only valid proceedings at this juncture,” it added.