Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed after summit talks on Wednesday to resume their strained peace process be scheduling a new round of talks by year's end.
The two leaders directed their foreign secretaries to "schedule meetings of the fifth round of the composite dialogue in the next three months," a joint statement said after the talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The talks were Zardari's first with Singh since the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto won a presidential election this month to replace military leader Pervez Musharraf, who resigned under threat of impeachment.
"Both leaders acknowledged that the peace process has been under strain in recent months," the statement said.
Singh and Zardari agreed to convene a special meeting of a joint “anti-terror” mechanism next month to address concerns.
"They agreed that violence, hostility and terrorism have no place in the vision they share of the bilateral relationship, and must be visibly and verifiably prevented," said the statement.
The issues cover eight areas including the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, border disputes, terrorism and economic cooperation.
Zardari was quoted earlier by the Pakistan media traveling with him to the United Nations that he would stress the issue of terrorism, including the killing of his wife last December, in his address to the United Nations on Thursday.
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Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
Reuters