NEW DELHI, Jan 28: India and Pakistan on Wednesday said they had identified sectors such as pharmaceuticals, education and science and technology as possible areas for cooperation, a visiting Pakistani official said.

The United News of India said talks took place between India's Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Attarur Rahman, Science and Technology Adviser to Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali.

Mr Rahman and Mr Joshi held preliminary discussions here before the resumption of stalled dialogue between the two countries on Feb 16-18. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf agreed during ice-breaking talks in Islamabad to resume dialogue, which has been stalled for two years.

Bilateral talks broke down in December 2001 after a deadly attack on Indian parliament that New Delhi blamed on Pakistani-backed militants battling Indian-rule in occupied Kashmir.

After Wednesday's talks, Mr Rahman told reporters that he was carrying a message of peace and friendship from his country. Mr Joshi also said that cooperation between India and Pakistan would reinforce peace in South Asia.-AFP