Sunday, April 17 2005 17:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Apr 17, 2005) told Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that redrawing of borders is not possible but he is in favour of bringing the people of Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir together.

Briefing journalists on the two-hour talks at the Hyderabad House between Dr Singh and Musharraf, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said the Prime Minister suggested steps like increased transportation linkages between India and Pakistan and more people-to-people contacts.

Musharraf, while stressing the importance of Jammu and Kashmir issue, agreed that the confidence building measures between the two countries had made a lot of progress.

The Pakistan President favoured that such measures should be further continued and intensified, though they need not impose any time frame or deadline and "we should be addressing whatever the differences between the two countries," Saran said.

The Foreign Secretary said the "mood was very positive and forward looking" and the Prime Minister told Musharraf that he was prepared to travel towards a lasting peace between the two countries.

During the past one-and-a-half years, there was a significant change in the relationship between the two countries and there was a transformation in the public mood, Singh told Musharraf.

He also referred to the joint statement made on January 6, 2004 particularly the assurances that no part of Pakistan would be allowed to be used for any terrorist activities against India.

This assurance has opened new opportunities for improvement of relationship between the two countries and taking it forward, he said.

It was the responsibility of the two countries that this positive movement in the relationship is not thwarted by the activities of terrorist elements, he said.

India also welcomed Pakistan's condemnation of terrorist attack on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus, he said.

These kind of activities can mar the ongoing peace process and hence the two sides have to control the activities of terrorist groups.

"Prime Minister also conveyed that he was aware that there were difficulties that need to be overcome," Saran said.

The Prime Minister also shared his vision of South Asia's future and said if India and Pakistan as two biggest economies of the two region were to join hands and bring their creative energies and resources together, it was possible to transform the economy of the region.

Observing that this was evidently possible, Singh said this was the direction in which he would like to take the process forward, Saran said.

Musharraf, he said, responded "very positively and shared the Prime Minister's vision" in improving the livelihood of the people of both countries, synergising their energies to ensure shared prosperity.