QINGDAO, CHINA, June 21 (UNI) Marking the establishment of the first political contact between India and Pakistan after the transition of power in New Delhi, external affairs minister K Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri today reviewed the progress in all aspects of bilateral relations, including the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
The meeting between the two leaders took place in this East Chinese city over a "working lunch" on the margins of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) meeting.
Official sources said the two leaders also reviewed implementation of the framework for the dialogue process worked out by their foreign secretaries in Islamabad in February.
Their meeting came a day after India and Pakistan decided at their expert-level dialogue in New Delhi on nuclear Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to establish a hotline between the two foreign secretaries to avoid any accidental nuclear risk.
Describing the meeting as "warm and productive," the sources said the two foreign ministers assessed positively the progress in the discussions held between BSF and Pakistani Rangers and the Narcotics Control Authorities of the two neighbouring countries.
They also welcomed the agreement worked out by their two teams on nuclear CBMs, particularly the establishment of the hotline and advance notification of missiles tests.
Singh and Kasuri said they looked forward to the meeting between their foreign secretaries in New Delhi on June 27-28 on peace and security and Jammu and Kashmir.
They were hopeful of positive outcome of the meeting so as to take forward the present peace process.
The two ministers agreed to remain in regular touch and provide continuous political guidance to the ongoing process.
The two leaders are expected to meet on several occasions during the next two months.
They are scheduled to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting in Indonesia in the first week of July.
Singh travels to Islamabad in the third week of July for the SAARC ministerial meeting.
They are scheduled to review the progress in the peace process formally in August.