NEW DELHI, Oct 30: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here on Thursday that recent small steps taken by India and Pakistan to boost commercial ties could presage bigger changes ahead.

“Commerce can build confidence. Small-scale steps are often the harbinger of bigger changes to come,” Mr Ban said, delivering the 9th Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Lecture.

Press Trust of India quoted him as hailing the launch of the cross-LoC (Line of Control) trade.

Mr Ban also noted that India was situated in a region beset by a number of unresolved disputes and ridden by terrorism and ethnic strife and had been dealing with its neighbours on “extremely complex questions”.

“The United Nations believes in dialogue as a means to settle disputes. Broad, inclusive dialogue between antagonists, between those whom one might have the most fundamental disagreements — such a dialogue should be possible on the subcontinent too,” he said.

He drew encouragement from the “latest breakthrough” of trade being launched “across the dividing lines between India and Pakistan” after talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Asif Ali Zardari at the United Nations last month.

“Trucks from each country have delivered goods to the other ... I draw encouragement from it, and urge both sides to build on it,” he was quoted as saying.