The leaders of India and Pakistan began talks Sunday aimed at taking forward a peace process begun nearly 15 months ago. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf appeared relaxed after spending nearly two hours at New Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla stadium watching cricket teams from both their countries competing in a day-long match. Singh and Musharraf smiled and shook hands in front of Hyderabad House, a stately pink sandstone mansion in the Indian capital where diplomatic meetings are held. The leaders were to discuss all the major irritants that have beleaguered India-Pakistan relations for almost 60 years during their talks, including the Kashmir dispute. Singh and Musharraf were also expected to discuss more confidence building measures in Kashmir, with both sides proposing an easier flow of trade and tourist traffic, and shared responsibility for preserving the ecological wealth of the scenic, mountainous province. Musharraf, who arrived in India Saturday for his first visit in four years, said he brought with him "a message of peace," and the hope that the two neighbors could end decades of suspicion and antagonism. "It is with a degree of optimism that we look forward to President Musharraf's visit," Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said shortly after Musharraf arrived. "It will be an informal, relaxed visit, celebrating the cricketing bonds between the two countries and at the same time taking advantage of this opportunity to engage in a very wide-ranging and fruitful dialogue," Saran said. On his way to New Delhi, Musharraf stopped at the desert city of Ajmer, where he visited the shrine of a 12th century Muslim saint and said he "prayed that in the times to come, all differences between India and Pakistan are resolved and peace returns."
