22 December 2004	Wednesday	09 Ziqa'ad 1425

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NEW DELHI, Dec 21: India wanted 'practical and mutually acceptable' solutions to all disputes with neighbours, and the atmosphere with Pakistan had 'considerably improved' as the composite dialogue process moved on , Indian Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh said on Tuesday.

In his presentation to Parliament's consultative committee of external affairs ministry, Mr Singh said India intended to have 'sustained and comprehensive dialogue' with Pakistan and greater people-to-people contacts.

Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran will leave for Pakistan on Friday at the head of a delegation for the foreign secretaries' talks. Mr Singh's remarks on the eve of these crucial talks acquired significance as there appeared to have been some doubts about the way the talks were progressing.

Similar views were echoed by a Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker of the National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain. "There is a great and very perceptible desire for peaceful relations among the people of both sides, and among our politicians too," Mr. Hussain told Dawn after a visit to Indian parliament.

"The peace process will be a slow and long drawn one, but we have to patiently work to resolve all our disputes peacefully." Welcoming Mr Hussain and members of his delegation, Indian Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat said that developing countries like India and Pakistan faced common problems of poverty, unemployment, population explosion and under-development.

He recalled recent initiatives taken by both the governments for cordial relationship between the people of the two countries. He called for taking the process further through dialogue to bring peace and prosperity for the people of both the neighbouring countries.

Emphasizing that the United Progressive Alliance government had 'refocused' the country's foreign policy and given a higher priority to its relations with neighbours, Mr Singh also briefed the MPs about the ties with other countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The meeting was told that this approach would be adopted by India at the upcoming SAARC summit in Dhaka. "The atmosphere with Pakistan has considerably improved and it is our endeavour to ensure it remains so," Foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna quoted the Mr Singh as telling the MPs.