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ISLAMABAD : Pakistan and India will hold their first official talks since the Mumbai attacks on February 25, Islamabad said Friday, in a move seen as a significant bid to ease regional tensions.
"It was decided that foreign secretary level talks between the two countries would be held on February 25 in New Delhi," a Pakistani government statement said.
There was not yet any confirmation of the talks from New Delhi.
The Pakistani statement said its side "should raise all the core issues and impress upon India the need for the expeditious resolution through resumption of Composite Dialogue" -- a reference to Pakistan's desire for fully fledged peace talks.
New Delhi last week proposed talks between the countries' top foreign ministry civil servants, a move welcomed as indicative of a major breakthrough in relations frozen since the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.
Pakistan announced the date for the talks following discussions between its Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
"The prime minister directed the foreign secretary, who was also present in the meeting, that his talks with his Indian counterpart should be result oriented and meaningful," the prime minister's office said.
Tensions between the nuclear rivals, which have fought three wars since British partition of the sub-continent in 1947, have fanned instability on their border, in the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir and in Afghanistan.
India's overture was interpreted as a result of pressure from the United States, which is keen to keep South Asia trouble-free while deploying tens of thousands more troops into battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Ending the war in Afghanistan is considered impossible without help from Pakistan, which the West still accuses of supporting the Taliban and other Al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Pakistan announced the date of the talks after US national security adviser James Jones was in Islamabad for meetings with senior officials.
India broke off the Composite Dialogue, which began in 2004 and helped to ease tensions significantly, after blaming the Mumbai carnage that killed 166 people on Lashkar-e-Taiba and "official" agencies.
It has conditioned a return to peace talks on Pakistan bringing the perpetrators to justice and dismantling militant groups.
An Indian government source said earlier this week that while Pakistan had taken the "few small steps" needed for talks to resume, it had not gone far enough to merit a return to a full dialogue.
"We have said the talks would include all relevant issues from our side and issues that will contribute to creating an atmosphere of peace and stability between the two countries," said the Indian government source.
"Maybe these talks would lead to the resumption of the Composite Dialogue. Let us not prejudge the issue," the source added.
- AFP /ls
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