India's Mukherjee to Visit Pakistan for Peace Process

India's Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee begins a two-day visit to Pakistan today as the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors seek to advance a 44-month- old peace process.

Singh will review progress made in the third round of the peace dialogue that was concluded in November in New Delhi with his counterpart Khurshid Kasuri, besides planning for next round of talks, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told reporters in Islamabad on Jan. 8.

``This is a just a continuation of the formal diplomatic process,'' said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management, a New Delhi-based policy research group. `` There will be the usual announcement of better cooperation, more talks scheduled for the future, because you cannot expect any radical changes to emerge from the meeting, as the fundamentals are same.''

India and Pakistan have been seeking to improve ties since 2003, restoring diplomatic, transport and sporting links, after they came close to fighting a fourth war in 2002. The two countries are holding a series of discussions on the various issues dividing them, including control over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir, which is claimed in full by both.

The visit of Mukherjee, the first trip to the neighboring country after he became foreign minister in October is also to extend an invitation to Pakistani leaders for the South Asian regional summit in New Delhi in April, Aslam has said.

The two nations resumed talks in November stalled by July's Mumbai commuter train blasts that killed 184 people.

Peace Hopes

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised peace hopes by saying earlier this week that the two countries would eventually be able to sign a peace and friendship treaty.

``I earnestly hope that relations between our two countries become so friendly that we can generate an atmosphere of trust between each other and that the two nations are able to agree on a treaty of peace, security and friendship,'' Singh said in New Delhi on Jan. 8.

Khalid Mahmud, a research analyst at Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad, said the peace process may not advance on resolving any key dispute, as both the countries seem stuck on their respective positions. Still, they will keep holding such meetings, as neither wants to derail the process, he said.

``India is calling for lasting peace, while Pakistan wants to settle the Kashmir dispute first,'' Mahmud said. ``Peace talks won't move forward if they stick to their positions.''

The two sides may sign accords on easing visa restrictions and avoiding nuclear confrontation to show that talks are not stalled, Mahmud said.

Procedural Requirements

There is nothing definitive about the signing of any agreements between the two nations, Pakistani spokeswoman Aslam said. A number of agreements are in the works and some of them await completion of procedural requirements, she said.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, including two over Kashmir. A 17-year insurgency in India's only Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir has left at least 50,000 people dead.

India has accused Pakistan of supporting the insurgency, a charge Pakistan denies.

Officials of the two sides have been holding a series of talks on issues such as the control of Kashmir, economic and commercial cooperation, terrorism and drug trafficking -- known as the ``composite dialogue.''