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Vajpayee back from 4-nation tour, happy with 'forward movement' in Indo-Pak talks

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said there had been ''forward movement'' in Indo-Pakistan talks on the sidelines of the NAM summit in Durban and sought to put an end to the controversy over South African President Nelson Mandela's remarks on Kashmir.

Talking to reporters at Delhi airport on his arrival this morning from his week-long four-nation tour, he said India was prepared to discuss all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, with Pakistan at the bilateral level.

Modalities for the resumption of the official level dialogue between the two countries had been drawn up, the prime minister said. ''All questions, including Jammu and Kashmir, will be discussed at the bilateral level, without any third-party intervention,'' he added.

Asked when the talks, stalled since September last year, would resume, Vajpayee smiled and said, ''Talks have already started''.

Indications are that the modalities for the resumption of the talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries would be announced after a meeting between Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharief in New York on September 23, when both will be there to address the United Nations General Assembly.

UNI

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