Natwar Singh winds up Pakistan visit

Islamabad--Expressing hope that Indo-Pak talks on the Siachen issue will move forward, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, however, said that there is no deadline for resolving it.

"There is no deadline for Siachen, but we hope talks will move forward," Singh told reporters in Karachi before leaving for home after a four-day visit to Pakistan during which he met President Pervez Musharraf and held talks with his counterpart Khurshid M Kasuri on the Indo-Pak peace process.

A joint statement issued on Tuesday in Islamabad after his talks with Pakistani leaders said the two sides exchagned ideas on Siachen and agreed to continue their discussions so as to arrive at a common understanding before commencement of the next round of the Composite Dialogue in January.

Responding to a question, Singh said, "on some issues there can be no hurry. On some other there is speedy movement," but did not elaborate.

Refering to the joint statement, he said "concrete issues had figured in it, which is good for the dialogue process."

Singh hoped that in coming days and months, there will be further movement in the peace process.

"The peace process is moving forward," he said, adding there have been some success.

"But it does not mean that all problems have been resolved."

Singh noted that people in both countries want the friendship to increase and tensions to end.

Before leaving for India, Singh called up his Pakistani counterpart Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri in Islamabad to thank him for the hospitality and expressed satisfaction over the talks.