Chennai: Treading cautiously on Pakistan's call for early resumption of bilateral dialogue, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha has said talks will start when the situation is "right".

"A number of confidence-building steps are in the process of being taken, including the posting of our High Commissioner and as and when we feel that the situation is now right for the beginning of dialogue, we will start the dialogue," he told reporters before leaving for Mauritius and South Africa on a five-day visit.

Shortly after arriving, Pakistan's High Commissioner-designate Aziz Ahmed Khan had said Islamabad was ready to discuss all issues with India and hoped the stalled dialogue would be resumed "very soon".

PTI