New Delhi:
The Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan have begun their talks in Delhi.
Thirty-four-year-old Hina Rabbani Khar and SM Krishna, 45 years older than her, made brief statements before starting their discussions. Both struck a conciliatory note, but government sources say that Mr Krishna will, early in his private dialogue with Ms Khar, raise India's extreme displeasure over her meeting yesterday with Kashmiri separatists in Delhi. The fact that she held these meetings before her official interaction with the government began is seen as a poor diplomatic move.
In his public welcoming remarks, Mr Krishna said, "India looks forward to a cooperative relationship with Pakistan... it is in the interest of peace not only for our two countries but for the entire region and beyond. Perhaps we owe this to ourselves as well as to succeeding generations."
(Read: Krishna's remarks before talks)
Ms Khar, who is Pakistan's youngest Foreign Minister, said, "Pakistan sees good friendly and cooperative relations with India as an important neighbour.
"We feel the relationship between the two countries should not be held hostage by the past." She also stressed that officials on both sides must be "respectful of the reality of the two countries."