The peace process between India and Pakistan is now "irreversible," leaders of the two nations said Monday, announcing a series of agreements to increase trade and cross-border travel. With Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf standing beside him, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said they had agreed to continue talks on the divided region of Kashmir, in "a sincere and purposeful manner" until they could find a settlement. "They determined that the peace process was now irreversible," Singh said, reading from a joint statement the two leaders had just signed. Among other things, the two countries agreed to: increase the frequency of a cross-Kashmir bus service, which started earlier this month; identify more places along the Kashmir frontier that could be opened to traffic; revive a joint commission to boost business ties; open consulates in the Indian city of Bombay and the Pakistani city of Karachi by the end of the year. They also vowed not to allow terrorism to thwart the peace process. The two sides also agreed to allow the movement of trucks across their borders, a decision expected to lead to exponential growth in trade. "Enhanced economic and commercial cooperation would contribute to the well-being of the peoples of the two countries," Singh said, reading from the statement, adding the two "leading economies of South Asia should work together for greater prosperity of the region." Over the weekend visit, the two countries also agreed to create a trade group to bring together business leaders from both countries in a bid to promote joint ventures. India and Pakistan have also decided to work in tandem to meet their enormous demands for energy resources, an issue which will be explored further when petroleum ministers from both countries meet next month in Islamabad. Earlier, Musharraf said the talks with his Indian counterpart were more successful than he had expected. At a breakfast meeting with Indian journalists earlier today in New Delhi, Musharraf said "Our achievements on all issues are more than what I expected." But on Kashmir, he said "it will need a lot of time and wisdom to arrive at a settlement. Let us go step by step."
