However, we must caution against getting too optimistic about the Havana encounter. Because, as a former Indian envoy to Pakistan put it, the neighbours haven’t really made any progress; they had gone backwards and now they have come back to where they were before the peace process collapsed.

The only positive aspect about the Havana talks between Manmohan Singh and Pervez Musharraf is the talks themselves — sending the message to their people and the world at large that they are still committed to peaceful resolution of their problems — especially Kashmir. The move to set up a joint mechanism to deal with terrorism is important. This will especially address Indian concerns.