Islamabad:
India and Pakistan on Wednesday vowed to push their bilateral ties towards full normalisation, with Islamabad voicing readiness for a ",grand reconciliation", and openness to look at ",innovative ideas", for resolution of Kashmir issue.
With both the sides sounding positive after extensive talks, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Pakistan later this year.
Pakistan agreed that terrorism was a ",common menace", and promised to work with India in combating the problem as External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi held wide-ranging talks covering various issues, including Siachen, Sir Creek and cross-LoC confidence building measures.
As New Delhi voiced serious concern over the recent incidents of firing on the LoC, Pakistan assured India that it would maintain the more than four-year-old ceasefire as it has been beneficial for people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides.
The two sides also signed an agreement for consular access to prisoners and promised to do more to address the humanitarian issue.
After reviewing the fourth round of four-year-old composite dialogue and deciding with Mukherjee to launch the next round in mid-July, Qureshi said Pakistan was ready for ",grand reconciliation", on outstanding issues with India which need to be resolved through dialogue with ",self respect and dignity",.
On Kashmir, he said Pakistan wanted its resolution according to UN resolution and wishes of Kashmiris but was ",open to innovative ideas. Our minds are not shut.",
Responding to Qureshi's statement, Mukherjee said India stood ready to resolve all issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir.
He, however, underlined that the two countries should improve their bilateral relations even if some outstanding issues remain unresolved. In this regard, he cited the growing ties between India and China, despite the boundary question remaining unresolved.
Mukherjee emphasised that the current dialogue process was based on three pillars which include ensuring an atmosphere free of terror and violence.
",I found a strong willingness and desire on Pakistani side to move towards full normalisation of relations,", said Mukherjee, who met President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.
",Secure, stable and prosperous India and Pakistan are in our mutual interests and good for our relations,", Mukherjee said.