Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Today marks the beginning of 3 days of peace talks between India and Pakistan. In the Pakistani capital both countries will take up discussion on the delicate Kashmir issue and the strengthening reciprocal trust over use and development of nuclear weapons. Peace negotiators will define an agenda and times for taking up long-term talks.      

Both today and tomorrow, Arun Kumar Singh, deputy secretary of India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will meet with Jaleel Abbas Dilanim, head of Pakistan's South Asian Foreign Ministry office. On Wed. Feb. 18 talks will get underway between the Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries, Shashank and Riaz Khokar. Reducing threats of nuclear war is not foreseen on their agenda, while the United States is pushing for dialog to be taking up again. Some analysts believe that India might postpone talks on the issue until elections are over.

In India many people are convinced that the results of these peace talks will be positive for peace and future relations between the two countries, even from the perspective of business.

In Pakistan, a part from militants and conservative religious groups, people have showed signs of hope at the start of the peace talks. Ghazi Salahuddin, a political analyst living in Islamabad, said, "the atmosphere of optimism in the streets just might be an important weapon for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf…For the president it is necessary to build a new alliance with forces interested in peace with India and to stray away from religious extremists. The political climate has changed in Pakistan, there are now strong pro-reconciliation feelings."  

The former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, told the Weekly Independent: "I might simply say India shouldn't have talks with Musharraf, since he's a military dictator. But I won't say it, as peace is very important for Southern Asia. We must put aside our differences and assist the peace process."  

Aslam Khan, a Pakistani businessman, said, "to reach a point in which relations can be defined as "stable" will be an advantage for each country of the Subcontinent. And I think most people understand this. We must put our thorny history of relations with India behind us."

Trade between India and Pakistan fluctuates between 200 and 300 million dollars a year. Both businessmen and financial analysts estimate that should relations between both countries be normalized, the yearly volume of trade would rise to 3 billon dollars. (MR)

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