The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, called on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here today. The Prime Minister affirmed the Government's commitment to progress on the bilateral dialogue, while noting that the problems are complex and progress may be possible only step by step. "We would like to make progress wherever possible", the Prime Minister said. He emphasized the need for the two countries to cast off the burden of history and write a new chapter.

The Prime Minister said that the Government would like to encourage people-to-people contacts between India and Pakistan, including the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In this regard, he said, the modalities could easily be worked out. The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of full implementation of the January 6 commitment of President Musharraf.

In response to Mr. Kasuri's suggestion that India and Pakistan should cooperate in the construction of an oil pipeline from Iran to India, Dr. Singh said that such individual projects should be part of a wider bilateral economic engagement between the two countries. Dr. Singh said that normal trade relations would benefit both countries and the region.