Sunday, December 26 2004 18:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dubai: Progress is being made in Indo-Pak dialogue as the Pakistani establishment has for the first time showed willingness to discuss issues other than Kashmir, External affairs Minister K Natwar Singh has said, while asserting that there are no "quick fix" solutions to the problems between the two countries.

"For the first time, the Pakistani side is saying that we would like to discuss Kashmir plus (other issues). Previously, it was only Kashmir and nothing else, so progress is being made and there is a change in the thinking of the ruling establishment in Pakistan in this regard, which is most welcome, Singh, who was on an official visit to Oman told members of Indian community at the India House in Muscat yesterday (Dec 25, 2004).

The current accent was on reconciliation and arriving at a common ground towards peaceful settlement of longstanding and unresolved issues, he said.

There was a ray of hope that unresolved matters would get resolved and the overall relation between the two countries are now steadily improving, the Times of Oman daily quoted him as saying.

Singh refused to put a time frame to resolution of issues, saying it was a marathon and not a 100m race.

Some are of the opinion that this can be achieved very quickly, but there are no quick fixes. There are very difficult problems and there are some problems, which can be solved easily and others with little or more effort. But, there are one or two problems, which are very difficult and for which there are no answers and this is one of them.