In an effort to resolve the dispute over the 65-mile-long Sir Creek, an estuary off the Gujarat coast, India and Pakistan on Thursday exchanged maps outlining their respective claims over the marshy strip as well as maritime boundary in that area.
An Indian delegation headed by Surveyor General, Maj Gen M Gopal Rao, held talks with Pakistan's Additional Defence Secretary, Rear Admiral Tanveer Faiz, on the first day of the two-day parleys at Rawalpinidi near Islamabad.
After the first round of talks, officials said the two sides exchanged two sets of maps making their claim on both Sir Creek as well as the seaward approach to the Exclusive Economic Zone in that area based on the recent joint survey carried out by the navies of both countries.
The two sides would study the maps and discuss their viewpoints on each other's claims and then convey the outcome to their respective governments, an Indian official said.
A resolution to the Sir Creek issue could enable both countries to notify their EEZ spanning to several hundred miles in the sea.
The current talks are being held under the auspices of the fourth round of the composite dialogue process. Both sides expressed optimism to reach an agreement.
The Indian delegation for the 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 the coastlines in the disputed area on the principle of equi-distance method. This was the second survey of the strip.
The first survey conducted last year covered the horizontal section of Sir 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 prepared maps based on which a solution could be hammered out.
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 the UN may declare them as international waters.