Thursday, June 30 2005 13:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Singapore: Describing as "minor hiccups" the stiff opposition by Left parties to some of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's policies, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said he is hopeful of finding an "effective solution" to it.

"These are minor hiccups," he said in an interview published today (Jun 30, 2005) in Straits Times when asked about the increasingly strident tone of the Left towards some of the UPA Government's policies and this week's street protests against its decision to increase prices of petrol and diesel.

"No coalition is totally free of these things. I think we will find an effective solution," he said without elaborating.

The Prime Minister, who touched on a range of issues covering international relations and ties with Singapore, also spoke of "uncertainties" in Indo-Pak relations.

"I would be the last to say there are no hiccups or uncertainties. But we have moved ahead since my first meeting with General Pervez Musharraf last September and we had a good meeting here two months ago," he said.

Observing that "some progress" has been made, he said, "But it goes without saying that the peace process is vulnerable to terrorist activity...if there is a wave of terrorist incidents, the peace process can be affected.