14 January 2005	Friday	03 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: Pakistan on Thursday confirmed that Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh will visit Pakistan between February 15 and 17 to hold talks with Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri on a range of confidence-building measures.

The two foreign ministers will discuss issue of Kashmir and peace and security, officials said in Islamabad. In New Delhi, Indian foreign office spokesman Navtej Sarna said: "The dates for the External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh's visit to Pakistan have been fixed between February 15 and 17."

However, sources said that the visit was 'expected to take the relationship further (and) shows a certain momentum'. It will be Mr Singh's second visit to Pakistan since he took office in May but the first strictly bilateral visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in 15 years.

Mr Singh was in Islamabad for a Saarc foreign ministers' meeting in July. Foreign Minister Kasuri visited New Delhi in September followed by a visit by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to New Delhi in November. -Agencies