Moscow: Russia has welcomed Indo-Pak roadmap to carry forward the composite dialogue and hopes that it would lead to full normalisation of relations between the two South Asian countries.

"Moscow welcomes the outcome of Islamabad round of Indo-Pakistan talks, and hopes that they would create a base for the strengthening of mutual understanding and full normalisation of relations between the two leading nations of South Asia," a Russian Foreign Ministry statement, released late said yesterday (Feb 19, 2004).

The statement referred to the signing of Indo-Pak roadmap by the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries on February 18.

"Strengthening of peace and stability in the Indian sub-continent, no doubt, would be a great contribution in improving the international situation in the region and the world as a whole," the statement said.