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

Tokyo, 19th February, 2004

1. Following the agreement between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan in January, Pakistan and India held a bilateral meeting between 16th and 18th February, in which both parties agreed to discuss and arrive at a peaceful settlement on all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.  The Government of Japan welcomes the outcome of this meeting as significant progress in relations between the two countries and stability of the region.
2. The Government of Japan holds in high regard the efforts taken by both countries since last year towards improving their relations and hopes that further progress will be achieved through the coming talks.