ISLAMABAD, 20 February 2004 — A US Congressional delegation at a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf here yesterday welcomed an agreement between Pakistan and India to start dialogue on resolving their disputes, officials said.
Led by Congressman Tom Davis, the six-member delegation discussed with Musharraf bilateral relations and the regional situation including developments in Afghanistan, a Foreign Ministry statement said.
“The US delegation appreciated the initiation of a composite dialogue between Pakistan and India for resolving all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir,” it said. The bi-partisan delegation includes representatives Carolyn Maloney, John Carter, Michael Burgess, Shelly Moore Capito and Chris Van Hollen.
The United States has supported efforts to ease tensions between India and Pakistan, which threatened to escalate into war in 2002.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher on Wednesday welcomed the outcome of talks.
“We very much welcome the outcome of the first round of talks, as part of a comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan,” said Boucher.
“We’re pleased that the parties came out with a road map for future discussions and we are pleased that they’re committed to increasing their engagement.”
“We’re very pleased to see that the leaders themselves in India and Pakistan not only have announced and explored this possibility but are now moving it forward in such a constructive manner.”
India and Pakistan earlier said in a joint statement that they would work with the “sincere desire to discuss and arrive at a peaceful settlement of all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.”
The statement said the countries’ foreign ministers would meet in August to review progress, while President Pervez Musharraf said Kashmiri separatist leaders could also become involved in talks at some point.
The statement, issued after talks between Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar and his Indian counterpart Shashank said contacts would continue in the months ahead with a meeting of border guard directors in March or April.
