India, Pakistan say relations are on right track

[July 27, 2011]  NEW DELHI (AP) -- The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan spoke Wednesday of entering a new era in relations between their nuclear-armed nations, after holding their first meeting since resuming bilateral peace talks this year.

The two agreed to work more closely in fighting terrorism in the region and to easing commerce and travel across the U.N.-drawn Line of Control dividing their nations.

The Himalayan territory of Kashmir -- a major source of tension that fueled two of three wars fought by the rivals since 1947 -- will continue to be discussed "with a view to finding a peaceful solution," Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said. Both nations claim the whole territory now split between them and maintain heavy deployments along the border.

Pakistan's newly installed foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, had raised eyebrows in India by meeting Tuesday night with Kashmiri separatists, who openly oppose India's heavy-handed rule and argue Kashmiris should vote themselves to decide the territory's final status. India has refused any such referendum, accusing Pakistan of fomenting conflict by arming and training rebels. Pakistan denies this and says it provides only moral and diplomatic support, backing the call for self-determination.

Nevertheless, the two sides described their talks Wednesday as constructive and cordial, agreeing on several measures toward improving life for Kashmiris, including increasing the number of cross-border trading days from two to four, and expediting travel permits, including for tourism and religious pilgrimage.

They discussed security cooperation, and reiterated their commitment to fighting terrorism with the aim of stabilizing the region.

"This is indeed a new era of bilateral cooperation between the two countries," Khar said after the talks. "There has been a mindset change in the people of the two countries that we must acknowledge."

Krishna said that, though challenges lie ahead, "I can confidently say that relations are on the right track."

The meeting was a major milestone in the new round of peace talks that began in February. India suspended an earlier round of talks after 10 Pakistani-based gunmen laid siege to the city of Mumbai in 2008, killing 166 people. India has argued that Pakistani intelligence helped plan that attack and that Pakistan has not done enough to crack down on those behind it.

Despite a July 13 triple bombing in Mumbai that killed 20 people, neither side backed away from the new round of talks. India's investigation into that attack has focused on a shadowy domestic terror group reportedly linked to Pakistani militants, but top government officials have been reluctant to point fingers, calling for patience as the investigation proceeds.

The two countries' foreign ministers last met a year ago in Islamabad in a tense meeting that erupted into accusations that both sides were fomenting terror attacks on each other. Since February, however, the two sides have discussed a range of issues including terrorism threats, cooperation on the Mumbai investigation and Kashmir.

[Associated Press; By KATY DAIGLE]

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