ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: President General Pervez Musharraf may meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York next month on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.

“A meeting between the two cannot be ruled out,” Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri told reporters after inaugurating an international seminar on ballistic missiles and South Asian security.

Answering a question, he said postponement of peace process by India was not in the interest of the peoples of both the countries as “they want peace and stability in the region for a rapid development and progress.”

He said Pakistan was opposed to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and had condemned the Mumbai blasts that left some 200 killed and hundreds injured. He regretted that India made the incident a pretext for putting off the peace process.

Mr Kasuri noted that it was imperative for both the countries to promote peace process and move towards resolution of all outstanding disputes to give a message to the international investors that Pakistan and India were safer places for their investment.

“It will go a long way as to the betterment of our peoples,” he remarked. He said the foreign secretary-level talks should continue as these were vital for the development and economic prosperity of the region.

He hoped that the peace process would resume soon as “one cannot clap with a single hand.”

The foreign minister said the Government of Pakistan attached high importance to the peace process and was working with commitment to move it forward which had also been recognized by the international community.