New Delhi: Canada on November 20 offered to mediate between India and Pakistan, if the two countries are willing, to facilitate resumption of stalled dialogue between them.

"If the two countries are open" Canada is willing to mediate between India and Pakistan as it favoured resumption of dialogue between the two countries, Speaker of the Senate Daniel Hays told reporters in New Delhi.

He is leading a high level Canadian Parliamentary delegation, which met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and other leaders and discussed several key issues including violence in Gujarat and the recent Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Leader of Opposition in the Senate John Lynch Staunton said it was very important for India to understand the need for resuming dialogue with Pakistan as there were so many other conflicts including Middle-East, Chechnya and Ireland.

The four-member Canadian delegation also met Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh besides attending both the Houses.

"We have great concern about Gujarat from the minority point of view. We are pleased to see that the Indian Prime Minister has taken a stand, which earlier did not seem to be clear," Mobtna Jaffer, the first Senator of Indian origin who is part of the delegation, told reporters.

Canadian High Commissioner described the Jammu and Kashmir polls as "free and fair" and expressed happiness over the 44 per cent voter turnout despite violence.

PTI