ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, before leaving for Egypt to attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, expressed hope that Pakistan and India will soon resume the process of composite dialogue.

Gilani set off for the international conference in Sharm El-Sheikh on Tuesday, saying he hoped discussions there with his Indian counterpart would get peace talks back on track.

Gilani said, “No doubt last year’s terror attack in Mumbai proved to be a big irritant in the peace talks but we have adopted sufficient damage control measures to improve our relations with India. During my meeting with Manmohan Singh, I will try to convince him over whatever misunderstandings in our joint approach still exist.” Gilani and Manmohan Singh are to meet at the summit venue in the Red Sea resort on Thursday, amid hopes of a resumption of peace talks between the arch-foes.

India put a pause on talks with Pakistan after the attack on Mumbai in November in which 166 people were killed.

India said the assault was carried out by Pakistani militants who must have had help from Pakistani security agents. Pakistan has denied any involvement by state agencies and says it will prosecute militants suspected of involvement.

Pakistan wanted cordial relations with all its neighbors, Gilani told reporters before his departure.

“I am sure that such interactions would be really beneficial for the country,” he said, referring to the meetings in Egypt.

The nuclear-armed neighbors launched a “composite dialogue” covering all of their disputes in early 2004 after nearly going to war for a fourth time since 1947.

Gilani said the two countries had been “moving in the right direction” until the Mumbai attack and the pause India put on the talks had only benefited the terrorists.

“When there will be more interaction, I think that will pave the way for the composite dialogue and for more interaction with the Indian government,” he said.

Pakistan is keen to revive the five-year talks but Singh has insisted Pakistan must first show it is serious about taking action against militant groups that launch attacks in the Indian part of the disputed Kashmir region and elsewhere in India.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said at the weekend Pakistan had completed its investigation into five suspects accused of links to the Mumbai attack, and they were expected to be put on trial this week.

Pakistan also handed a fresh dossier on its probe into the Mumbai attack to India on Saturday.