Islamabad: The environment is conducive for Indo-Pak dialogue and both countries are determined to carry the peace process forward, India's Ambassador to Pakistan Shiv Shankar Menon has said.

He said there has been a great advance in Indo-Pak ties in the last four months ever since Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee extended the hand of friendship towards Pakistan.

"I think certainly there has been a great advance in the last four months, since PM extended a hand of friendship towards Pakistan. (I think) You see that in today's meeting. You can see it when you talk to people. There has been a series of steps that will take process forward," Menon said in an interview to NDTV 24/7 news channel.

"It is our hope that we will have an atmosphere where it is possible for us to build a constructive relationship with Pakistan.... Certainly we are in touch. We now have High Commissioners in place in both the countries. We have the channels. We have the means in place," Menon said.

He said both countries are determined to carry this forward. "But, we can't prejudge what is going to happen and we cannot predict the future today."

He said the process of talks is not just at the official level but the entire society is involved.

"It is more than just an official dialogue...I think we have a dialogue today between India and Pakistan because of relationship between two countries. Not only officials are involved…. Members of Parliament, media… This is a relationship between two societies, two nations, two countries."

PTI