Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Relations between India and Pakistan

Tokyo, 2nd December, 2003

1. The Government of Japan welcomes the joint statement issued by the Governments of India and Pakistan to resume airlinks and overflights between the two countries.

2. The Government of Japan highly evaluates a series of confidence building measures, including the aforementioned joint statement, which have recently been taken by the Governments of India and Pakistan. The Government of Japan hopes that these positive developments will improve further the India-Pakistan relations and promote mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries.