India, Pakistan to Resume Diplomatic Ties: Indian PM

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, May 02, 2003

India, Pakistan to Resume Diplomatic Ties: Indian PM

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said on Friday that his country would resume full diplomatic relations with Pakistan and restore civil aviation links between the two neighbors.

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Carrying forward the peace initiative, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Friday announced in the Lower House that India has decided to appoint a High Commissioner to Pakistan and restore civil aviation links on a reciprocal basis.

Making a statement on the peace initiative with Pakistan, Vajpayee said he had discussed ways of carrying forward bilateral relations during the telephone call he received from Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zaffarullah Khan Jamali on April 28.

Giving details of the telephonic talk, Vajpayee said, "in this regard, I emphasized the importance of economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, people-to-people contacts and civil aviation links."

"These would create an environment in which difficult issues inour bilateral relations could be addressed. Prime Minister Jamali suggested resumption of sporting links between the two countries. We agreed that, as a beginning, these measures could be considered," he said.

The Prime Minister said, "In this context, it has been decided to appoint a High Commissioner to Pakistan and to restore the civil aviation links on a reciprocal basis."

Observing that Jamali condemned terrorism during their conversation, Vajpayee said that the Pakistani Prime Minister had also conveyed his appreciation for the comments made by him in Srinagar as also his remarks about India- Pakistan relations in the two Houses of Parliament.

"We are committed to the improvement of relations with Pakistanand we are willing to grasp every opportunity for doing so," he said.

However, Vajpayee said, "We have repeatedly expressed the need to create a conducive atmosphere for a sustained dialogue, which necessarily requires an end to cross-border terrorism and the dismantling of its infrastructure."

The Prime Minister said he had also emphasized the importance of substantive progress on the decisions for regional trade and economic cooperation taken at the SAARC Kathmandu Summit.

"Agreements arrived at Kathmandu must be implemented," he added.

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