Annan hails India's talks offer to Pak.

GENEVA, MAY 25. The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has welcomed the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's invitation to the Pakistan Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, for talks and said he was encouraged that Islamabad responded positively to it.

``He believes that a meeting now at the highest level would further ease the tensions in the region and facilitate resumption of a sustained dialogue which is very much in the long-term interests of both countries,'' Mr. Annan's spokesman said in a statement.

Mr. Annan hoped that a summit between Mr. Vajpayee and Gen. Musharraf would be arranged without undue delay. Expressing confidence that the dialogue would lead to ``further'' easing of tensions in the region, Mr. Annan said he was encouraged that Gen. Musharraf responded positively to the invitation.

'An encouraging sign'

Britain today welcomed Mr. Vajpayee's invitation to Gen. Musharraf saying it hoped that this would lead to a dialogue between the two countries and a resolution of their differences through peaceful means. In a statement, the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Robin Cook, said he also welcomed the positive initial response by Pakistan.

``It is encouraging that the Indian Government has announced that it will continue its dialogue with a range of Kashmiri opinion, as any solution in Kashmir will have to take into account the views of the people of Kashmir. I hope militant groups operating in Kashmir will now cease their violent activity, and join efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue''.

- PTI, UNI

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