Moscow, Aug 14: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khursheed Muhammad Kasuri has said the process of normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan has started and called for a "frank dialogue" between the neighbours on all issues including the Kashmir dispute. In an interview to 'Nezavisimaya Gazetav' daily published today, Kasuri said the "process of normalisation (of Indo-Pak) ties has begun." Kasuri denied that Pakistan had transferred nuclear weapons secrets to North Korea in exchange for missile technology. "We have a stringent export control regime which guaranties that no sensitive technologies, equipment and materials would ever go to another country," he said.
Kasuri noted that after clamping sanctions on Pakistan's main Nuclear Research Institute in March 2003, US officials later told the Congress that the State Department had "reviewed the facts" about Islamabad's transfer of nuclear technology to North Korea and had decided that they do not provide ground for clamping sanctions against Pakistan.

Asked about relations between Islamabad and Moscow, Kasuri said President Pervez Musharraf's Moscow visit in February gave a new fillip to bilateral ties and identified spheres of economic cooperation, including in metallurgy, energy, space and telecommunications.
Responding a question about the possibility of recognition of Israel by Pakistan, Kasuri said that it would depend on the progress in the implementation of West Asia peace roadmap, which provides for the formation of independent Palestinian state by 2005.
Bureau Report