Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri today (Jun 6, 2004) expressed hope that Indian Government would observe Rhetoric Restraint Regime (RRR) to avoid misunderstandings between the two countries.

Kasuri was speaking after a telephonic conversation with Natwar Singh, during which the External Affairs Minister told him that a statement appearing in section of press attributed to him was misleading.

Singh told him that he had been misquoted, official APP news agency reported from Lahore.

Kasuri said he was surprised to see Singh's statement as only two days back they had another telephonic conservation and had agreed to continue the RRR policy.

"During telephonic conversation Natwar Singh said that he held President Pervez Musharraf and me in the highest esteem. Singh also said that India would continue the policy of not conducting the diplomacy through media," he said. Having realised that war is not option for resolution of outstanding issues, India and Pakistan have now to adopt realistic and pragmatic approach to resolve all issues including Kashmir through talks in the framework of composite dialogue process, he said.

He said both Pakistan and India are nuclear powers and no power can force or suppress them but the international community want that the two countries should sort out their problems and have peace.

To a question, the minister said that US Government is of the view that new Indian Government would continue the policy of composite dialogue process with Pakistan.