Iran backs Indo-Pak talks; offers help if required

Iran on Tuesday supported moves to resume dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve their differences saying it welcomed direct talks but expressed readiness to help in this process if required.

"We have always welcomed direct negotiations between India and Pakistan. We feel direct negotiations will succeed much faster," Iranian ambassador in India Seyed Mehdi Nabizadeh told mediapersons in New Delhi.

Noting that negotiations between India and Pakistan were 'supposed to start,' he said it will 'certainly have desirable thoughts.'

"Iran, being a friend of India and Pakistan, can play a role in facilitating the negotiations if there is any need," Nabizadeh said through an interpreter.

India has offered to have foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan to discuss terrorism and any other issue that could lead to peace between the two neighbours.

New Delhi believes that normalising relations with Islamabad is a bilateral issue and opposed any intervention by a third party.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has invited her counterpart Salman Bashir to New Delhi for the talks that mark softening of India's post-26/11 stance apparently because Pakistan government has produced evidence in court against those held in connection with Mumbai terror attacks.