The prime ministers of India and Pakistan met in Egypt today in the latest round of high-level talks between the rivals that Islamabad hopes will help restart a formal peace dialogue.
Pakistani prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh met on the sidelines of a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The nations agreed that continuing dialogue was the only way forward for the two rival nations, the two prime ministers said in a joint statement after a meeting.
"Action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process,"the statement said after the meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.
India sees Pakistan as failing to act against the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant group India blames for last year's attacks on Mumbai which killed at least 166 people.
The statement described talks as "cordial and constructive" and said the two premiers covered the whole range of bilateral relations "with a view to charting the way forward" in ties.
Addressing the summit yesterday, Mr Gilani said there had been "some forward movement" in ties that he wanted sustained.
In his speech, Mr Singh said the "infrastructure of terrorism" must be dismantled, a remark clearly directed at Pakistan that echoes India's repeated calls on its neighbour.
Today's meeting is the third high-level meeting between the two countries since last year's Mumbai attacks derailed any rapprochement. Progress could help improve stability across the region as far as Afghanistan.
Pakistan is keen to revive the five-year-old "composite dialogue" covering all disputes between the two countries.
Mr Singh has said he was willing to meet Pakistan "more than half way" if it cracked down on Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as against other militant groups that launch attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.
A visit to India by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, starting tomorrow, could encourage Mr Singh to make a conciliatory gesture.
Reuters