Manmohan for new ways to tackle issues

SRINAGAR (Agencies) - Reaching out to Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said India was keen to normalise relations with Islamabad and advocated “new ways” of working together to address all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute in a friendly manner.

“We want to normalise relations with Pakistan,” Indian Premier Manmohan, who is on a two-day visit, said at a crowded Press conference.

Showing readiness to resolve all issues, including Kashmir problem with Pakistan peacefully, he said he had held very good meeting with Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari in New York last month. “I asked him to start a new era of relationship in South Asia.”

India wanted to leave the past behind, he said, adding that all issues with Pakistan could be resolved in a friendly atmosphere.

“Borders cannot be changed but they can be made irrelevant,” he said. “We must create conditions whereby a Kashmiri living in Srinagar or Muzaffarabad should not see any problem about people-to-people contacts.”

He described as “irrelevant” old ways of thinking. He said “new ways” of working together were required to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

To a question on the situation in Pakistan, he said strong, stable, prosperous and peaceful Pakistan was in India’s interest. He said Pakistan and India were committed to peace process to bring peace and prosperity.

He said good relations with Pakistan were an essential part of India’s policy.