November 29, 2006	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 7, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sent his best wishes for President Gen Pervez Musharraf through Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri with the message that he was looking forward to his meeting with the president.

This was said by Mr Kasuri after his return from India on Tuesday. He told Dawn that he had a brief interaction with Mr Singh at the wedding reception of Mani Shankar Aiyar’s daughter on Monday.

Asked if Mr Singh indicated when he would be visiting Pakistan, Mr Kasuri said that it was not the appropriate occasion to discuss the dates of his visit. “Although it was my private visit (to New Delhi), it did help in smoothening things out ahead of the next round of talks,” Mr Kasuri said when asked about his visit’s likely bearing on the peace process.

Mr Kasuri said he had a 20-minute one-on-one meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Parnab Mukherjee on Monday, and termed the informal session “a good beginning” as it came ahead of their formal talks in Islamabad in January.

He said their discussions revolved around the need to resolve outstanding issues between the two countries.