ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has welcomed the appointment of external affairs minister in India and said he looks forward to interacting with his new counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

The slot of external affairs minister had been lying vacant in India since Natwar Singh’s exit last November and was seen by Mr Kasuri as a ‘handicap’ in Indo-Pakistan diplomacy. “Who do I talk to?” he had said while summing up this predicament in an interview to Indian daily Asian Age on June 16.

Talking to Dawn on Friday the foreign minister said he appreciated the ‘positive’ tone and tenor of Mr Mukherjee’s first public statement in the context of relations with Pakistan after he took charge of the ministry.

His reference was to Mr Mukherjee’s statement that peace with Pakistan was desirable.

The foreign minister hinted that he would soon touch base with his counterpart. However, Mr Kasuri remained non-committal on whether Mr Mukherjee’s appointment signalled that the foreign minister-level review meeting as required under the agreed framework of the composite dialogue would be held soon. He said: “We first have the foreign secretary-level talks which we hope go well... let us see how they proceed.”

Soon after taking over Mr Mukherjeec sent out a positive message to Pakistan and other neighbours that ‘tension-free’ conditions should be created on the borders to enable countries of the region to live in peace.