US Secretary of State Colin Powell Monday telephoned Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri and expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved on various issues during the composite dialogue so far between India and Pakistan.

Kasuri, who is currently on an official visit to Iran, said that Pakistan was wedded to a dialogue process aimed at achieving peace and security in the region, according to a press release issued here by the Pakistani Foreign Office.

Durable peace would only be possible with the resolution of alloutstanding issues between the two countries, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Kasuri said in the telephone conversation.

The Pakistani foreign minister thanked Powell for the interest taken by the US Administration in the Pakistan-India dialogue, therelease said.

Kasuri told the US secretary of state that he looked forward tothe talks in New Delhi next month. This would be the first political level talks between the two countries since the Bhutto-Swaran Singh talks 40 years ago.

He said that the people of Pakistan and India, as elsewhere, would be keenly watching the results of the talks.

Kasuri said Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shujaat Hussain and he himself were committed to the current peace process with India. The foreign minister expressed the hope that this would lead to a resolution of all outstanding issues including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

India and Pakistan were holding a series of talks on all outstanding issues between the two countries, including the key issue of Jammu and Kashmir. According to the dialogue timetable, the foreign ministers of the two countries will meet in September.

Source: Xinhua