Pakistan-India meet an opportunity to move forward: Yousuf Raza Gilani

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said talks are the "only way forward to improve ties with India" and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's visit to New Delhi will provide an opportunity for the two sides to move ahead with the process of negotiations.

Gilani made the remarks while interacting with reporters at official function in Islamabad.

"In the past, negotiations were stalled with India but talks were the only way forward," he said.

"In earlier talks, we discussed all core issues, including Kashmir," he said.

Pakistan wants cordial relations with all its neighbours, including Iran, Afghanistan and India, he said.

Gilani added that he held meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to improve relations with the two countries.

He described recent rounds of secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan as a positive development.

Prime Minister Singh is a respectable person who wants India-Pakistan ties to improve, he said.

Pakistan and India had held secretary-level talks on commerce, defence and security issues with an aim to resolve issues, he remarked.

The two countries are tackling issues like poverty, unemployment and price hike and need to invest more in health and education, he said.

Foreign Minister Khar is scheduled to leave for New Delhi on Tuesday. She will hold talks with her Indian counterpart SM Krishna on July 27.