Indo-Pak pacts tangible breakthroughs: US

The agreements outlined in the joint statement issued by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Musharraf after their meeting in New Delhi are "tangible breakthroughs that will allow for more extensive people to people contacts and will contribute to improved prosperity," a senior State Department official said.

"We welcome the commitments made over the weekend by India and Pakistan as outlined in their joint statement, including enhanced interaction and family reunification across the Line of Control, expanding the frequency and type of transport such as bus transport and truck transport they talked about, and also their initiatives for promoting cross-border trade," the official added.

Meanwhile, the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference Monday hailed what it described as the "positive results" of peace talks between India and Pakistan in New Delhi.

Secretary General Akmal al-Din Oghali said Islamic states "welcome the announcement by the two sides that the peace process is now irreversible," said a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The OIC expressed its "full support for efforts for peace and normalisation between the two countries" and the "settlement of all outstanding differences, including that of Kashmir".

Monday's joint statement from the long-time foes came at the end of a visit by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Musharraf that had originally started as an invitation to watch cricket but quickly built into a broader review of the 14-month peace process.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan welcomed Monday's joint statement from India and Pakistan that the peace process between the two nuclear-armed rivals was now irreversible.

"The secretary general warmly supports the efforts by India and Pakistan to advance the ongoing dialogue," Annan's spokesman said in a statement.

"He welcomes the joint statement issued by the leaders of the two countries this weekend which outlined additional confidence building measures aimed at achieving durable peace in the region," the spokesman said.

"In particular, he is encouraged by their declaration that the dialogue had become 'irreversible.'"

"The two leaders had substantive talks on all issues. They determined that the peace process was now irreversible," they said.

Musharraf's visit started as an invitation to watch Pakistan play India at cricket but quickly built into a broader review of the 14-month peace process.

The two countries each hold part of Kashmir but both claim the territory in full. They have fought two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 over the Himalayan region.