ISLAMABAD, 15 March 2007 — Top Indian and Pakistani diplomats said yesterday that 2007 could be a “watershed” year for their peace process, with real hope of resolving their dispute over Kashmir and other issues.

The two sides agreed to expedite negotiations for an agreement on the prevention of incidents at sea. They agreed to observe cease-fire on the Line of Control and sign a framework agreement to ensure the speedy return of inadvertent border crossers. A committee comprising four judges from each side will discuss how to ensure proper treatment of prisoners and their expeditious release.

Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammad Khan wrapped up the two days of talks in Islamabad yesterday describing them as successful.

“The year 2007 is a critical one and can prove to be a watershed,” Khan told a joint news conference at the Pakistani Foreign Ministry after the talks.

Pakistan and India had dealt with “issues that have divided us” and that had “made it possible that we move from problems and disputes management to resolution of problems and disputes,” Khan said.

The fact that this part of the peace dialogue coincides with the 60th year of India and Pakistan’s independence “underscores the need for turning a new page in our relations,” he added.

Menon said that during meetings with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri he found there was “clear political will on both sides to make all-round progress.”

“We agreed that in the fourth round we anticipate that considerable progress can be made,” he added. The diplomats said yesterday’s talks centered on the Himalayan territory of Kashmir. Tuesday’s session was devoted to a review of the previous round of talks and on general peace and security including nuclear weapons.

India and Pakistan were “engaged in the most sustained and intensive dialogue that they ever had” over Kashmir, Menon said. The officials said that while they recognized the need to make progress on a solution to the Kashmir problem, yesterday they focused on “confidence-building measures” such as transport links created since 2004.

Pakistan had also suggested new measures such as sports events, a helicopter service and a postal service in Kashmir, Khan said. He said the two countries’ defense secretaries would soon hold talks on ending a 20-year standoff on the Siachen glacier in Kashmir — dubbed the world’s highest battlefield.

The talks in Islamabad follow the February firebombing of a “Friendship Express” train in India that killed 69 passengers, mostly Pakistanis returning to their homeland. Khan and Menon said that India had given Pakistan a list of passport numbers to help identify 19 of those who died in the blast.

Islamabad, Kabul to Work for Peace

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed yesterday to work for peace while respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This resolve came in a joint statement issued after the conclusion of the joint Pakistan-Afghanistan meeting held in Islamabad on Tuesday and yesterday.

The meeting also decided to jointly work out the modalities for regular meetings of tribal leaders.

NATO Team Meets Kasuri

NATO officials yesterday held talks with Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri on the fight against terrorism and the continuing unrest in Afghanistan, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

An eight-member delegation of the NATO parliamentary assembly, led by its Vice President Karl Lamers, “deeply appreciated” Pakistan’s role during a meeting with Foreign Minister Kasuri, the statement said.

The delegation said that Pakistan was an important ally of the West and was playing a critical role in regional peace, security and development.