Progress with Pakistan 'not insignificant'

Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran (R) and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Khokhar (L) arrive for secretary level talks in New Delhi yesterday. Senior Indian and Pakistani officials began talks to finetune the agenda for today and tomorrow's first ministerial meeting in three years. PHOTO: AFP

"We are a government that is only 100 days old and in this short period of time we have ... (completed) the Composite Dialogue," Singh told his first media conference since taking office on May 22.

"What we have achieved in that time is not insignificant. It is our intention to carry forward the dialogue process," he said.

During ongoing meetings between Indian and Pakistani officials since March -- known as the composite Dialogue -- a raft of proposals have been drawn up on issues ranging from improving trade and cultural ties and combatting terrorism and drug trafficking to steps towards resolving the dispute over Kashmir.

The proposals were accepted on Saturday during talks in New Delhi between Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and his Pakistani counterpart, Riaz Khokhar, according to a joint statement issued after the talks.

Meanwhile, India's prime minister said yesterday his government was ready to talk to any militant group, including those in Kashmir, abandoning previous preconditions that the rebels must first disarm.

However Manmohan Singh added that he expected the militants to "eschew the path of violence."

"We are ... willing to talk to all elements in Kashmir who are not represented in the state assembly," Manmohan Singh told his first press conference since taking office on May 22.