Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on talks between India and Pakistan

The Secretary-General welcomes the outcome of the weekend meeting between the External Affairs Minister of India, Mr. K. Natwar Singh, and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Khurshid Mohammed Kasuri, which reviewed the process of the composite dialogue between the two countries and took important decisions arising from the dialogue. He also welcomes the announcement that President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York later this month.

He is heartened that the two sides continue to make steady progress towards resolving outstanding issues and improving their bilateral relations. The Secretary-General attaches great importance to the success of these efforts, which would have a highly salutary effect not only on the lives of the peoples of the two countries but also on regional and global stability. Once again, he encourages the leaders of India and Pakistan to pursue these efforts with patience and a spirit of compromise in addressing the various issues, including the question of Jammu and Kashmir. The Secretary-General remains at their disposal to assist in any useful manner.