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Vajpayee, Musharraf commit themselves to continue peace process
Islamabad, Jan 05: Ending the long freeze in Indo-Pak bilateral dialogue, Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf held their first discussion here today after a gap of more than two years and committed themselves to continue to the process of normalisation in the relationship.
Islamabad, Jan 05: Ending the long freeze in Indo-Pak bilateral dialogue, Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf held their first discussion here today after a gap of more than two years and committed themselves to continue to the process of normalisation in the relationship.
The hour-long meeting between the 79-year-old Indian batsman and the general, who had held their substantive dialogue at the failed Agra summit in July 2001, sets in motion a formal process of discussing issues that have plagued the relationship between the two neighbours. It also raised the prospects of new confidence building measures beyond the recent restoration of air and other transport links.
The Indian side, which maintained that Vajpayee's meeting with Musharraf at the sprawling presidential house was a "courtesy call", was reticent in giving any details except to say that the Prime Minster's visit to Islamabad for the Saarc summit, his meetings with the Pakistani leadership as also the parleys at other levels during the last two days, represented "progress". "Both the leaders welcomed the recent steps towards normalisation of bilateral ties and expressed the hope that the process would continue," External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha told a crowded press briefing at which he refused to answer persistent queries on what had transpired at the meeting on the plea that it was a "sensitive issue".
As at their brief interaction at the presidential banquet last night, Musharraf warmly greeted Vajpayee with a firm handshake and the two posed for pictures. Throughout their meeting, the two leaders were assisted by their foreign ministers and other top officials.
Bureau Report
The Indian side, which maintained that Vajpayee's meeting with Musharraf at the sprawling presidential house was a "courtesy call", was reticent in giving any details except to say that the Prime Minster's visit to Islamabad for the Saarc summit, his meetings with the Pakistani leadership as also the parleys at other levels during the last two days, represented "progress". "Both the leaders welcomed the recent steps towards normalisation of bilateral ties and expressed the hope that the process would continue," External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha told a crowded press briefing at which he refused to answer persistent queries on what had transpired at the meeting on the plea that it was a "sensitive issue".
As at their brief interaction at the presidential banquet last night, Musharraf warmly greeted Vajpayee with a firm handshake and the two posed for pictures. Throughout their meeting, the two leaders were assisted by their foreign ministers and other top officials.
Bureau Report