April 10, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 9: Pakistan and India will review the progress of the fourth round of composite dialogue in May, ahead of the next round of talks.

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will arrive in Islamabad on May 21 for a series of meetings.

“Pakistan’s foreign minister will meet his Indian counterpart on May 21 for the political level review of the peace talks,” said Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq on Wednesday.

He said that the final review meeting would be held the same day. The meeting would be preceded by foreign secretary-level review on May 20, he said.

This would be the first major interaction between the two countries after the change of government in Islamabad.

The fourth round of the composite dialogue was initiated by foreign secretaries of the two countries in Islamabad in March 2007. It ended in October 2007. However, the wrap-up meetings could not be held because of political developments in Pakistan.

The review meetings in Islamabad would be followed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s visit to New Delhi where dates for the next round of talks would be announced.

“The peace talks … have witnessed both sides taking practical steps for enhancing bilateral cooperation on a number of

issues and have engaged each other in serious discussion of issues that have divided them,” a diplomatic source said, adding the prospects of success had been strengthened because of the positive attitude on both sides.

Foreign Minister Qureshi has said in a TV interview that the decision of the Indian government to resume the dialogue process shows that it recognises that a democratic government has taken over in Pakistan and now the dialogue process may prove to be positive and result-oriented.