NEW DELHI, Aug 4: Pakistan's Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Nawaz Khan arrived here on Wednesday, saying he had brought proposals to further strengthen the peace process with India.

Lt-Gen Khan and his eight-member team will start a two-day dialogue on the Siachen Glacier issue with their Indian counterparts on Thursday.

A second delegation headed by Rear Admiral Ahsan Ul Haq Chaudhry, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, also arrived on Wednesday to hold talks on the Sir Creek dispute with India. These talks will begin on Friday.

Pakistani officials said the atmosphere surrounding the talks looked positive. They described the two-day dialogue on the 'Promotion of Friendly Exchanges in Various Fields' as earnest and bereft of any diplomatic postures.

Culture Secretary Ms Neena Ranjan led the Indian delegation to these talks and Mr Jalil Abbas, Secretary, Minorities, Tourism, Culture and Youth Affairs, led the Pakistan delegation.

A joint statement on Thursday's talks said: "The discussions were held in a very cordial and constructive atmosphere. Both sides made wide-ranging proposals for promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation in the fields of art, culture, archaeology, education, science and technology, youth affairs and sports, media and tourism. Implementation of the programmes would be undertaken through mutual coordination.

The statement said both sides exchanged views "on liberalizing the visa regime and expanding the scope of the 1974 bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines by increasing the number of pilgrims and shrines on both sides."

Both sides agreed to address the humanitarian issues concerning civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other's custody, the statement said. Lt-Gen Hamid Nawaz Khan, leading the first high-level defence contact in recent years, said on arrival that the talks on the crucial Siachen Glacier and Sir Creek issues were expected to be successful since "we have come with a positive, sincere and open mind."

Lt-Gen Khan was received at the airport by his Indian counterpart Mr Ajai Vikram Singh. Asked whether Pakistan had come with a proposal for reduction of military presence at the Siachen Glacier, Lt-Gen Khan said: "We have proposals which will further strengthen the peace process between the two countries."

Mr Singh said the exercise was a part of the composite dialogue process between the two countries and efforts would be made to solve all defence-related issues. Asked whether there was a proposal for de-militarization of Siachen, Mr Singh retorted: "If I have to discuss these things here, then what will I talk to the Pakistani side tomorrow." Mr Singh denied they would be discussing the problem of cross-border terrorism.