The World Bank has assured its neutrality and impartiality in helping India and Pakistan find an “amicable way forward” during talks over issues related to two of India’s hydroelectricity projects under the Indus Waters Treaty.

Welcoming the participation of India and Pakistan in the talks to be held here, World Bank’s Vice President for South Asia region Annette Dixon said, “We are pleased both parties have confirmed their participation in the meeting hosted by the World Bank in Washington, DC.”

In a letter dated July 25 to Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna, Dixon wrote that “the World Bank welcomes the spirit of goodwill and cooperation”. It also assured the Indian envoy the organisation’s “continued neutrality and impartiality in helping the parties to find and amicable way forward”.

The Indian delegation will be lead by Union Water Resources Secretary Amarjit Singh during the talks to be held today. This delegation will comprise officials from ministries of external affairs and water resources.

Pakistan had approached the World Bank to set up a court of arbitration to look into two hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir last year. Under the 57 year-old treaty, the World Bank is the mediator. However, India had asked for the appointment of a neutral expert to look into the issues, contending the concerns Pakistan raised were “technical” ones.

Following this, the international lender had in November 2016 initiated two simultaneous processes: one, appointing neutral expert and two, establishing a court of arbitration to look into technical differences between the two countries in connection with the projects.

This simultaneous processes were halted after India objected to it. After that, representatives of the World Bank held talks with India and Pakistan to find a way out separately.

The two countries last held talks over the two projects in March this year during the meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) in Pakistan.

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